Optical 01 April 2009

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Thu Apr 02 2009 - 13:57:15 UTC

  • Next message: David Brierley: "DMB Obs April 1-2"

    Observations 01April 2009
    ----------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
    Camera mount now carries two systems that can be operated
    together as two totally different sytems and computers used.
    Generally the DSI Pro II camera will be used for high altitude
    slow moving objects. Tests seem to indicate that its sensitivity
    is comparable to the MINTRON ( possibly better) but as its not
    possible (?) to time stamp to better than 1 second accuracy the
    time resolution is not good enough for LEO objects.
    
    (1) 145mm focal length f/2.5 lens fitted to 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.
    Image integrated for 2.56 seconds but exposure depends on sky background
    brightness. Field of view 2.5 x 1.9 degrees and showing about mag +12
    stars in "real time". Used as a finder for the 6 inch reflector.
    Individual frames are video time stamped with GPS derived signal.
    
    (2)Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome CCD camera without filters.
    using integration times of 20 sec min to 60 seconds maximum
    depending on brightness of sky in particular area.No image
    processing done.
    Used with 6 inch f/5 CELESTRON reflector modified to f/2.7 with home
    made corrector lens.Field of view 55 by 40 arc minutes and showing
    15th magnitude stars in real time.
    Exposure time to nearest second inserted into image FITS header
    from PC clock which is automatically checked every minute against
    GPS signal.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    For CLASSFD.TLE:
    ----------------------------
    
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401180003000 56 15 1015494+055401 39  +080 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401180109000 56 15 1016566+055250 39  +080 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401180206000 56 15 1017516+055206 39  +080 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401180518000 56 15 1021054+054943 39  +080 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401221630000 56 15 1432359+024524 39  +075 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401221830000 56 15 1434379+024438 39  +075 05
    33490 09 001A   0433 G 20090401222010000 56 15 1436150+024347 39  +075 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 G 20090401181342000 56 15 0925207+030145 39  +115 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 G 20090401181523000 56 15 0927021+030059 39  +115 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 G 20090401181730000 56 15 0929101+030012 39  +115 05
    28546 04 050B   0433 G 20090401181523000 56 15 0925462+022854 39  +110 05
    28546 04 050B   0433 G 20090401181730000 56 15 0931084+024432 39  +110 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 G 20090401205624000 56 15 0830041+104916 39  +110 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 G 20090401205745000 56 15 0831095+104734 39  +110 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 G 20090401205915000 56 15 0832227+104558 39  +110 05
    14930 84 037A   0433 G 20090401204200000 56 15 1222347+090019 39  +130 05
    14930 84 037A   0433 G 20090401204430000 56 15 1224589+085103 39  +120 05
    14930 84 037A   0433 G 20090401204715000 56 15 1227358+084011 39  +120 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 G 20090401191749000 56 15 1006574+100218 39  +105 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 G 20090401191950000 56 15 1009023+100027 39  +105 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 G 20090401192120000 56 15 1010345+095756 39  +105 05
    22988 94 009A   0433 G 20090401193340000 56 15 0512587+002907 39  +125 05
    22988 94 009A   0433 G 20090401193510000 56 15 0514282+003058 39  +135 05
    22988 94 009A   0433 G 20090401193710000 56 15 0516261+003304 39  +130 05
    25336 98 029A   0433 G 20090401182204000 56 15 1012302+110526 39  +080 05
    25336 98 029A   0433 G 20090401182400000 56 15 1014169+110238 39  +080 05
    25336 98 029A   0433 G 20090401182531000 56 15 1015371+110027 39  +080 05
    27168 02 001A   0433 G 20090401190740000 56 15 0954355+081422 39  +105 05
    27168 02 001A   0433 G 20090401191020000 56 15 0957162+081401 39  +105 05
    27168 02 001A   0433 G 20090401191205000 56 15 0959028+081316 39  +105 05
    27938 03 041B   0433 G 20090401210230000 56 15 1050265+053839 39  +105 05
    27938 03 041B   0433 G 20090401210415000 56 15 1052109+054031 39  +105 05
    27938 03 041B   0433 G 20090401210544000 56 15 1053425+054303 39  +105 05
    28117 03 057A   0433 G 20090401211310000 56 15 1503325+032459 39  +120 05
    28117 03 057A   0433 G 20090401211440000 56 15 1505028+032443 39  +120 05
    28117 03 057A   0433 G 20090401211610000 56 15 1506326+032410 39  +120 05
    33491 09 001B   0433 G 20090401183315000 56 15 1147549+040700 39  +110 05
    33491 09 001B   0433 G 20090401183630000 56 15 1150507+040510 39  +110 05
    33491 09 001B   0433 G 20090401183800000 56 15 1152125+040414 39  +110 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401213952000 56 15 0858070-184230 39  +090 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401214004000 56 15 0859392-181820 39  +085 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401214023000 56 15 0901533-174306 39  +085 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401214331000 56 15 0921309-120948 39  +085 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401214403000 56 15 0924224-111846 39  +085 05
    90020 04 539A   0433 G 20090401213335000 56 15 0755437-315932 39  +095 05
    90022 04 764A   0433 G 20090401195726000 56 15 1325074+143320 39  +110 05
    90022 04 764A   0433 G 20090401195815000 56 15 1325521+143132 39  +105 05
    90022 04 764A   0433 G 20090401200009000 56 15 1327385+142530 39  +110 05
    90022 04 764A   0433 G 20090401200253000 56 15 1330126+141804 39  +120 05
    90004 99 750A   0433 G 20090401194340000 56 15 1844044-672950 39  +110 05
    90061 06 667A   0433 G 20090401185657000 56 15 0923405+341304 39  +090 05
    90061 06 667A   0433 G 20090401185739000 56 15 0929284+341429 39  +090 05
    90061 06 667A   0433 G 20090401185759000 56 15 0932232+341503 39  +090 05
    90077 07 757A   0433 G 20090401203044000 56 15 1019526+380115 39  +110 05
    90077 07 757A   0433 G 20090401203433000 56 15 1030361+361858 39  +110 05
    90077 07 757A   0433 G 20090401203650000 56 15 1036279+352103 39  +110 05
    
    Strays seen:
    --------------
    NIGCOMSAT 1 geostationary
    31395 07 018A   0433 G 20090401180206000 56 15 1016305+054852 39  +105 05
    ARIANE 2 R/B
    19622 88 098B   0433 G 20090401174705000 56 15 0950376+061630 39  +110 05
    SATCOM C4  geostationary  - some very bright flashes
    22096 92 057A   0433 G 20090401191950000 56 15 1012586+103328 39  +090 05
    AFRISAT-1 geostationary
    23765 96 002B   0433 G 20090401174034000 56 15 0939450+064820 39  +095 05
    
    
    Notes:
    ---------
    (1) USA 202 was not where predicted so searched and eventually found it.
    
    (2) 90020 flashing makes it a difficult object to detect where exact end
        of trail is.
    
    (3) 90004 was early but rather too faint for my system as I had it set
        up. Again difficult to estimate where end of trail was.
    
    (4) I will be re-reporting some of these objects in the next day or two
        where positions and magnitudes where determined astrometrically.
        That reported today was done using the "old" method which will now
        be phased out.
    
    (5) Hope not any errors - I had some problems along the way :-(((
    
    Cheers
    Greg 
    
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