Obs 15 August 2006 -all

From: Greg Roberts (grr@iafrica.com)
Date: Wed Aug 16 2006 - 08:10:14 EDT

  • Next message: Gregg Hendry: "Laser Beams from Calipso"

    Observations 15 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 1.92 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
    
    Conditions terrible except for about 30 minutes, after which
    completely clouded out.
    
    
    For CLASSIED.TLE:
    -----------------------------
    
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815165657800 56 15 1457384-000740 39  +070 05
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815165926600 56 15 1523404-122042 39  +065 05
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815170109400 56 15 1552402-242346 39  +060 05
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815170249600 56 15 1639499-390956 39  +055 05
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815170544600 56 15 1951540-604218 39  +060 05
    29249 06 027A   0433 T 20060815170722700 56 15 2214329-600310 39  +065 05
    90037 05 638A   0433 T 20060815171134700 56 15 2000458-103311 39  +090 05
    90037 05 638A   0433 T 20060815171925600 56 15 2008523-103729 39  +090 05
    90035 05 625A   0433 T 20060815175100400 56 15 1948286+051614 39  +105 05
    23947 96 038C   0433 T 20060815175947300 56 15 1610045+363112 39  +080 05
    23947 96 038C   0433 T 20060815180309500 56 15 1701364+291619 39  +075 05
    23947 96 038C   0433 T 20060815180735500 56 15 1914072+073726 39  +060 05
    90025 04 800A   0433 T 20060815184710600 56 15 1504145+051241 39  +075 05
    90025 04 800A   0433 T 20060815184803600 56 15 1511164+065825 39  +075 05
    90025 04 800A   0433 T 20060815184849000 56 15 1516553+082452 39  +075 05
    90025 04 800A   0433 T 20060815184916500 56 15 1520088+091357 39  +075 05
    90031 05 546A   0433 T 20060815190238000 56 15 2143388+033032 39  +100 05
    
    
    Unknown observed before - geostationary:
    --------------------------------------------------------
    
    91075 00 000A   0433 T 20060815172750800 56 15 2032438-065727 39  +110 05
    91075 00 000A   0433 T 20060815173122800 56 15 2036159-070007 39  +110 05
    
    
    Strays seen:
    -------------
    
    DMSP 5D-2 F11 debris  variable
    29084 91 082CD  0433 T 20060815170722000 56 15 2215084-600921 39  +100 05
    Sci Sat 1 Pegasus rocket
    27859 03 036B   0433 T 20060815171452800 56 15 1807564-304540 39  +058 05
    TDRS 3 IUS range 10150 kms steady
    19549 88 091C   0433 T 20060815172056400 56 15 2021478-072900 39  +093 05
    Landsat 2
    07615 75 004A   0433 T 20060815172730900 56 15 2032093-074240 39  +080 05
    Intelsat 904 geostationary
    27380 02 007A   0433 T 20060815175100400 56 15 1947330+051519 39  +095 05
    
    
    Notes:
    ---------
    
    (1) Will be loosing NROL-22 #29249 probably before end of week as it
        goes into daylight.
    
    (2) #19549 TDRS 3 IUS spotted as unknown - looked interesting so I
        followed it to shadow entry. Identified afterwards.
    
    (3) #90035 is usually brighter than Intelsat 904 which is very close
        by - tonight Intelsat 904 was distinctly brighter.
    
    (4) #99905 -- as this object was making a pass during which it was
        close to culmination I search ahead and behind the prediction
        point and saw nothing. Either the elements are wrong - which I
        do not think is the case - or the satellite is very faint (>12th
        mag).  Will try again when it descends towards perigee.
    
    (5) #90050 - tried but not seen - previous observations show this
        is a difficult one, fainter than 13th magnitude, but easy when
        it flashes ( when it decides to flash! which doesnt seem too
        often).
    
    
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:  
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Aug 16 2006 - 08:14:24 EDT