Observations 01 April 2005
---------------------------------
Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
MINTRON low light level CCD surveillance camera (0.005 lux typical
in non integration mode) and 0.00005 lux in STARLIGHT mode with 128
frame integration.
Used with 145mm focal length f/2.5 lens giving a field of view of
about 2.55 x 1.86 degrees and easily showing 12th magnitude stars.
Not the best lens optically but the most useful in terms of field
of view and magnitude penetration.
Data recorded on DVD R/W disks - will be kept for 1 month and then
re-used - just in case any queries as Im always making mistakes!
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
For CLASSFD.TLE:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DSP20 (was reported for some time by me as 90017,then 90032,now as #26356
26356 00 024A 0433 G 20050401181550800 17 15 0722576+063044 39 +095 05
MILSTAR 5
27168 02 001A 0433 G 20050401173623000 17 15 0624207+065950 39 +105 05
Commercial and known objects:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
INSAT 2C GEOSTATIONARY
23731 95 067B 0433 G 20050401175159000 17 15 0638585+060550 39 +118 05
SKYNET 4F GEOSTATIONARY
26695 01 005B 0433 G 20050401175623700 17 15 0654112+063042 39 +085 05
METEOSAT 6 GEOSTATIONARY
22912 93 073B 0433 G 20050401180437700 17 15 0717113+082040 39 +110 05
SIRIUS 3 GEOSTATIONARY ( MAY BE SIRIUS 2?)
25492 98 056B 0433 G 20050401181147100 17 15 0704382+052519 39 +090 05
INMARSAT 4F1 GEOSTATIONARY
28628 05 009A 0433 G 20050401181550800 17 15 0725107+053446 39 +100 05
SL-12 R/B 2 GEOSTATIONARY
28466 04 043D 0433 G 20050401181550800 17 15 0717385+054135 39 +125 05
EUTELSAT W3A GEOSTATIONARY
28187 04 008A 0433 G 20050401181550800 17 15 0717541+052838 39 +130 05
EUTELSAT W1 GEOSTATIONARY
26487 00 052A 0433 G 20050401183618200 17 15 0752129+052921 39 +120 05
INTELSAT 603 GEOSTATIONARY
20527 90 021A 0433 G 20050401184558200 17 15 0547025+053053 39 +127 05
INSAT 2B GEOSTATIONARY
22724 93 048B 0433 G 20050401184702000 17 15 0552235+060846 39 +115 05
INTELSAT 901 GEOSTATIONARY
26824 01 024A 0433 G 20050401190715800 17 15 0617034+051829 39 +125 05
GALAXY 5 GEOSTATIONARY
21906 92 013A 0433 G 20050401195147000 17 15 0720205+052240 39 +125 05
SL-16 R/B(1) OBSERVED AT RANGE 25340 KILOMETRES
25662 99 014B 0433 G 20050401200127400 17 15 0755448+085420 39 R+105 05
ATLAS 2AS CENTAUR OBSERVED AT RANGE 36033 KILOMETRES
28155 04 003B 0433 G 20050401200826000 17 15 0737245+014720 39 +100 05
EXPRESS 3A GEOSTATIONARY
26378 00 031A 0433 G 20050401201408000 17 15 0755031+052037 39 +100 05
SL-16 R/B(1) OBSERVED AT RANGE 27680 KILOMETRES
25662 99 014B 0433 G 20050401201950200 17 15 0815483+080620 39 +100 05
TELECOM 2D GEOSTATIONARY
24209 96 044B 0433 G 20050401203801200 17 15 0832588+052046 39 +090 05
ATLANTIC BIRD 2 GEOSTATIONARY
26927 01 042A 0433 G 20050401203801200 17 15 0832069+052425 39 +100 05
NILESAT 102 GEOSTATIONARY
26470 00 046B 0433 G 20050401203801200 17 15 0837066+052205 39 +110 05
NILESAT GEOSTATIONARY
25311 98 024A 0433 G 20050401203801200 17 15 0837002+052614 39 +110 05
Notes:
~~~~~~
(1) Willie Koorts has added another option to his CoSaTrak computer
program which allows one to do "box" searches. One enters the start
and end azimuths, as well as minimum and maximum elevations, the
stepping size ( in my case 1.5 degrees), and the time the mount spends
"staring" at each setting ( in my case a minimum of 90 seconds ). In
this way one is able to set up the system at the start of the evening
and leave it unattended for (say) 4 hours whilst it scans the box
defined. The problem still remains that later I have to go through
the DVD recording and examine each "stared" location :-))
(2) Consequently I have started to scan the Clarke belt (plus a few degrees
either side) looking for known and unknown geostationary satellites and
anything else that passes through the field of view. For geo and high
altitude satellites the system can see satellites down to about 13th
magnitude, but for leo satellites the limit is only about magnitude +8.
(3) I am a little disappointed at how few objects were located so its
apparent I will have to redo my scans with a more sensitive telescope
which means a smaller field of view, which then means a lot more work..
(4) #25662,#28155 and #25662 are objects in very elliptical orbits - seen
by accident
(5) I hope to report the scans done on the 2 April tomorrow - 25 satellites
so far and one, as yet, unknown medium altitude satellite.
Cheers
Greg
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