Observations 02 Aug 2006:
--------------------------------
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,integrating for 96 frames
which is equivalent to an exposure of 1.98 seconds per image.
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
First hour lost due to solid cloud, thereafter working through
intermittent cloud.
For CLASSIFIED.TLE:
---------------------------
99013 03 564A 0433 G 20060802164216000 56 15 1638361-012220 39 +083 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802175234800 56 15 1452471+061035 39 +070 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802175550600 56 15 1519550-064321 39 +060 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802175826200 56 15 1558538-231857 39 +055 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802180033700 56 15 1702281-420729 39 +050 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802180214000 56 15 1841282-560408 39 +055 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802180400400 56 15 2119124-610943 39 +050 05
29249 06 027A 0433 G 20060802180511600 56 15 2248097-582626 39 +055 05
90047 06 521A 0433 G 20060802190538400 56 15 1509328+255342 39 +105 05
90047 06 521A 0433 G 20060802190752300 56 15 1527097+301707 39 +103 05
90047 06 521A 0433 G 20060802190906700 56 15 1538265+325812 39 +100 05
90047 06 521A 0433 G 20060802191058700 56 15 1557599+371714 39 +095 05
90038 05 638B 0433 G 20060802191639800 56 15 2111022+045418 39 +095 05
90038 05 638B 0433 G 20060802192152200 56 15 2116154+045909 39 +095 05
90036 05 629A 0433 G 20060802191639800 56 15 2115034+042408 39 +095 05
90036 05 629A 0433 G 20060802192152200 56 15 2120566+042520 39 +095 05
90036 05 629A 0433 G 20060802202907000 56 15 2227370+045513 39 +095 05
90025 04 800A 0433 G 20060802193425600 56 15 1322034-175103 39 +080 05
90025 04 800A 0433 G 20060802193609300 56 15 1354374-120223 39 +080 05
90025 04 800A 0433 G 20060802193826500 56 15 1428441-045819 39 +080 05
90025 04 800A 0433 G 20060802194057300 56 15 1457183+013819 39 +083 05
90046 05 864A 0433 G 20060802201524000 56 15 1304397-001535 39 +080 05
90046 05 864A 0433 G 20060802201534500 56 15 1306215+000633 39 +080 05
90046 05 864A 0433 G 20060802201546300 56 15 1308196+003320 39 +080 05
99903 06 675A 0433 G 20060802202022800 56 15 2031561+185049 39 +110 05
99903 06 675A 0433 G 20060802202216300 56 15 2034346+191825 39 +105 05
99903 06 675A 0433 G 20060802202325400 56 15 2036134+193450 39 +107 05
99903 06 675A 0433 G 20060802202625400 56 15 2040428+202020 39 +120 05
99904 00 000A 0433 G 20060802203224700 56 15 2149084-270551 39 +115 05
99904 00 000A 0433 G 20060802203350700 56 15 2150099-270548 39 +110 05
99904 00 000A 0433 G 20060802203507800 56 15 2151036-270538 39 +115 05
99904 00 000A 0433 G 20060802203619200 56 15 2151535-270456 39 +110 05
90034 05 592A 0433 G 20060802203713400 56 15 1919546+011355 39 +105 05
90034 05 592A 0433 G 20060802204547000 56 15 1928308+010809 39 +105 05
99901 06 706A 0433 G 20060802204806200 56 15 1741547+382534 39 +108 05
99901 06 706A 0433 G 20060802204848600 56 15 1744008+383012 39 +105 05
99901 06 706A 0433 G 20060802205003400 56 15 1747425+383754 39 +105 05
99900 06 706A 0433 G 20060802205202500 56 15 1838032-122432 39 +112 05
99900 06 706A 0433 G 20060802205353400 56 15 1839192-123534 39 +115 05
99900 06 706A 0433 G 20060802205559400 56 15 1840461-124750 39 +113 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20060802205650200 56 15 1826597-021500 39 +105 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20060802210004500 56 15 1830152-021627 39 +105 05
90054 95 586A 0433 G 20060802210210800 56 15 1533541+061410 39 +100 05
90055 96 750A 0433 G 20060802213635700 56 15 2149506+012618 39 +105 05
Possible unknown?
--------------------
91074 06 214MEO 0433 G 20060802200746600 56 15 1409394+024649 39 +090 05
91074 06 214MEO 0433 G 20060802200757100 56 15 1411343+025539 39 +080 05
91074 06 214MEO 0433 G 20060802200806300 56 15 1413188+030342 39 +075 05
91074 06 214MEO 0433 G 20060802200823700 56 15 1416316+031914 39 +080 05
Strays seen:
-------------
Iridium 39
25042 97 069D 0433 G 20060802183239500 56 15 1321243-020204 39 +085 05
Cosmos 2038 rocket range 2770 km
20238 89 074G 0433 G 20060802190752300 56 15 1527359+301659 39 +075 05
Eutelsat W5 geostationary
27554 02 051A 0433 G 20060802191639800 56 15 2107299+050417 39 +090 05
Sea Launch demo, range 38000 km, elliptical orbit
25661 99 014A 0433 G 20060802191639800 56 15 2111556+052409 39 +095 05
Pas 4 geostationary
23636 95 040A 0433 G 20060802192152200 56 15 2119232+050734 39 +095 05
SL-12 r/b(2) range 37200 kms
21824 91 087D 0433 G 20060802210004500 56 15 1829264-023906 39 +110 05
SL-12 R/B(2) range 36750 kms
21129 91 010F 0433 G 20060802210004500 56 15 1832424-021907 39 +115 05
Satcom K1 range 39100 kms
16482 86 003B 0433 G 20060802210210800 56 15 1535342+055629 39 +110 05
Intelsat 907 geostationary
27683 03 007A 0433 G 20060802210210800 56 15 1534362+051544 39 +110 05
Notes:
------
(1) One of the best evenings I have ever had - despite a lot of cloud
the transparency/seeing was excellant and in some parts of the
sky I could see down to mag +12.7 on the monitor in real time.
(2) NROL-22 #29249 tracked through cloud most of the pass. As a result
the constantly changing light levels due to cloud caused the camera
AGC (automatic gain control) and ELC ( electronic light control) to
go a bit haywire so magnitude estimates are a little uncertain. I
am reasonably confident however that at times the magnitude was one
or to magnitudes BRIGHTER than reported.
(3) #90047 "recovered" after having been "lost" for about 70 days. This
was mainly due to the satellite making passes at apogee and too
faint for my system. However it is now descending from apogee so is
now in range again. This object is also slightly variable. The
satellite was running about 1m43sec late on predictions.
(4) #90046 observed through usual "hole" in the nearby tree at elevation
10 degrees.
(5) #99903 passing over at about 25000 kms showed some variability,
ranging from about mag +10.5 max to fainter than +12 .
(6) #99904 passing over at range 34200 kms showed slight variability
- maybe less than half magnitude but occassional flashes about a
magnitude brighter. Could be seen "realtime" on the monitor so
its big.
(7) #91074 is a bright satellite that I cant match up with anything
in my current database so may be an unknown varying from about
magnitude +7.5 to about +9 in the short time it took to cross
the field of view.
(8) The following satellites continue to elude me at the moment so
will be top priority when next I observe -- probably not before
sunday night:
#90030,#90039,#90040 and #90045
Cheers
Greg
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