This year I was lucky in the optimal night, almost clear from evening till morning. The night before I could observe during some hours. I used a 15 x 80 binoculars on atripod. In the "long" night it happened twice that I saw three geosats simultaneously by unaided eye: the constellation of Cetus was often provided with one or more extra stars. Here are my brightness estimates. I've ordered the observations by longitude. Night of 2004 October 11/12 int.id. catnr name maxmag long. 98-006 B 25153 Inmarsat 3 5 8.2 25.1 E 94-070 A 23331 Astra 1D 4.0 23.6 E 93-031 A 22653 Astra 1C 6.2 19.2 E 01-025 A 26853 Astra 2C 9.0 19.2 E 91-015 A 21139 Astra 1B 9.0 19.1 E 97-076 A 25071 Astra 1G 8.2 19.1 E 98-056 A 25491 Eutelsat W2 4.1 16.1 E 01-005 A 26694 Sicral 5.3 16.0 E 96-067 A 24665 Hot Bird 2 8.5 13.2 E 98-013 A 25237 Hot Bird 4 3.7 13.1 E 04-008 A 28187 Eutelsat W3A 5.8 7.1 E 98-056 B 25492 Sirius 3 4.4 5.0 E 97-071 A 25049 Sirius 2 5.3 4.9 E 02-035 A 27460 Stellat 5 5.9 4.9 E 03-059 A 28132 Amos 2 5.6 4.0 W Night of 2004 October 12/13 int.id. catnr name maxmag long. 03-060 A 28134 Express-AM 22 4.8 53.0 E 03-053 A 28089 Yamal 201 5.0 49.1 E 03-018 A 27807 Gsat 2 7.8 48.0 E 99-018 A 25673 Eutelsat W3 7.4 47.6 E 00-068 A 26590 EuropeStar 1 7.7 45.0 E 96-040 B 23949 Turksat 1C 8.5 42.2 E 01-002 A 26666 Turksat 2A 8.5 42.0 E 02-029 A 27441 Ekspress-A 4 7.9 40.1 E 00-028 A 26369 Eutelsat W4 4.7 36.2 E 00-019 A 26243 Sesat 4.7 35.9 E 91-055 A 21653 Intelsat 6 5 8.5 33.1 E 94-049 B 23200 Turksat 1B 8.2 31.4 E 96-063 A 24652 Arabsat IIB 7.7 30.5 E 01-011 A 26719 Eurobird 5.4 28.6 E 98-050 A 25462 Astra 2A 4.7 28.3 E 00-081 A 26638 Astra 2D 7.7 28.3 E 00-054 A 26494 Astra 2B ? 28.2 E 98-006 B 25153 Inmarsat 3 5 5.0 25.1 E 94-070 A 23331 Astra 1D 5.9 23.6 E 93-031 A 22653 Astra 1C 8.4 19.2 E 01-025 A 26853 Astra 2C 8.4 19.2 E 91-015 A 21139 Astra 1B 8.4 19.1 E 98-056 A 25491 Eutelsat W2 4.2 16.1 E 01-005 A 26694 Sicral 6.0 16.0 E 95-016 B 23537 Hot Bird 1 3.2 13.2 E 96-067 A 24665 Hot Bird 2 6.4 13.2 E 97-049 A 24931 Hot Bird 3 5.4 13.2 E 04-008 A 28187 Eutelsat W3A 9.0 7.1 E 98-056 B 25492 Sirius 3 8.2 5.0 E 97-071 A 25049 Sirius 2 5.0 4.9 E 95-060 A 23712 Milstar 2 4.8 1.1 E 97-025 A 24808 Thor 2 8.5 0.7 W 98-035 A 25358 Thor 3 8.5 0.8 W 04-022 A 28358 Intelsat 10 2 8.5 1.0 W 96-030 B 23865 Amos 1 5.4 4.0 W 03-059 A 28132 Amos 2 3.9 4.0 W 02-035 A 27460 Stellat 5 4.1 4.9 W 95-067 A 23730 Telecom 2C 6.3 5.2 W 00-031 A 26378 Ekspress-A 3 5.9 10.9 W 02-040 A 27508 Atlantic Bird 1 4.7 12.6 W 96-053 A 24307 Inmarsat 3 2 7.7 15.5 W 01-024 A 26824 Intelsat 9 1 7.7 18.0 W 02-019 A 27414 NSS 7 3.3 22.0 W 02-027 A 27438 Intelsat 9 5 3.6 24.5 W 03-007 A 27683 Intelsat 9 7 3.3 27.5 W 02-044 A 27528 Hispasat 1D 3.6 30.0 W 00-007 A 26071 Hispasat 1C 3.3 30.1 W 97-009 A 24742 Intelsat 8 1 ? 31.5 W 98-002 A 25134 Skynet 4D 5.8 34.2 W 02-016 A 27403 Intelsat 9 3 3.6 34.5 W The identification of the Astra's on 19.2°E may be incorrect. This is also true for the Amos'es. I got the impression that most objects are brighter when emersed and sometiems the max. brightness is more than 2.5 ° from the shadow. (I used program Highecl to identify the objects). Bram Dorreman COSPAR 4160 51° 16' 45.5" N 5° 28' 36.6" E (WGS84) 35 m ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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