RE: Observing Report: 4 Geosynchronous Satellites in the Same Field of View!

From: Dora Hunter (bk_hunter@sympatico.ca)
Date: Thu Aug 21 2008 - 14:57:06 UTC

  • Next message: Bjoern Gimle@GlocalNet: "Re: Observing Report: 4 Geosynchronous Satellites in the Same Field of View!"

    Hi,
    
    The most likely suspects are:
    
    31307  07-016B   Galaxy 17
    26038  99-071A   Galaxy 11
    25740  99-027A   Nimiq 1
    22930  97-038A   DBS 1
    
    They would have been near M11 at about 23:10 EDT at 205 degrees azimuth and 
    40 degrees elevation.  If the time is wrong there may be other 
    possibilities.  The reason for the close proximity is a question of traffic. 
      Companies reserve a slot in the geostationary belt.  The slot is a cube 
    70km on a side (I think) and the satellite is supposed to be kept in the 
    box.  If more than one satellite is placed in the box, then more traffic can 
    be delivered to a single fixed antenna on the ground.  The busiest box I 
    have seen is the one occupied by six Astra satellites over 19.2 degrees east 
    south of Europe.  They provide Direct-to-Home television.   Watched over 
    time, they move considerably inside the box.
    
    Cheers,
    
    Brian Hunter
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    >From: Skywayinc@aol.com
    >To: seesat-l@satobs.org
    >Subject: Observing Report: 4 Geosynchronous Satellites in the Same Field of 
    >View!
    >Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:56:10 EDT
    >
    >Thought some on this list might be interested in this observation.
    
    
    
    
    >Ron is a member of the Amateur Observers' Society (AOS) of
    >New York.  He and two other AOS members made this interesting
    >observation on Wednesday evening from Robert Moses State
    >Park, located in Suffolk County, Long Island, NY.  Anybody want  to
    >take a crack at identifying what these guys saw?
    >
    >-- joe rao
    >
    >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >Hi everyone,
    >
    >A few weeks ago I posted how I saw a geosynchronous  satellite drift
    >out from M11. Well, tonight at Robert moses, I was looking  at M11
    >again. And wouldn't you know it, this time I see TWO satellites
    >slowly drifting across the face of M11. But wait, it turned out there
    >were a total of 4! It was very interesting to see this many clustered
    >together. They were not equally spaced from one another, nor were
    >they  in a straight line or any apparent pattern. Bill Bradley pulled
    >out an  application on his PDA and gave an estimated location of an
    >altitude 41.7º,  and an azimuth of approx 200º.
    >
    >Rich Huber, Bill Bradley, and I took turns  watching these dots remain
    >stationary among the drifting backdrop of stars  passing by while
    >contemplating the purpose of why these satellites were  clustered
    >together. I would estimate them to have been grouped within 20 arc
    >minutes.
    >
    >Cool stuff!
    >
    >Ron Lindenfeld
    >_torbin@optonline.net_ (mailto:torbin@optonline.net)
    >
    >
    >
    >**************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your 
    >travel
    >deal here.
    >(http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)
    >
    >-------------------------------------------------------------------------
    >Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:
    >http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    >
    
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive:  
    http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
    



    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Aug 21 2008 - 14:58:06 UTC