Hello fellow observers and othe rinteresting people.
First I must not forget to wish you all prosperity and many interesting
observations for coming year.
Thanks to some days off between Christmas and New Year I had some
time to process my observations on geostationary satellites during
the "flaring" days before or after the equinox.
Concerning period is after the autumn equinox in 2002 from my
regular observation location:
COSPAR 4160 (Achel 1):
51° 16' 45.5" N (51.2793 N),
5° 28' 36.6" E ( 5.4768 E)
The observations are date and time ordered.
The columns are:
- original log time (hh:mm UT)
- international satellite designation (yyyy-nnnc)
- maximum brightness estimation
- minimum brightness estimation
- name or note a) thru h)
- UT of observation
- Right Ascension of observation
- declination of observation
Last three values were input to program FINDSAT to identify.
If you copy and paste following table with font Courier New to
another document, you 'll have a properly formatted list.
Int.design. max min notes UT RA decl
mag mag hh:mm:ss hh mm.mm °
2002-10-09
20:40 2002-029A 5.0 Express A4 20:40:00 00 47.0 -7.40
20:53 unk 8.0 a) 20:52:48 00 47.0 -7.40
21:30 2001-011A 8.0 Eurobird 21:30:00 00 47.0 -7.40
21:30 unk 8.0 b) 21:30:00 00 47.0 -7.40
21:35 1996-040A 7.5 Arabsat 2A 21:35:00 00 40.4 -7.66
21:42 1994-070A 8.0 Astra 1D 21:43:10 00 40.78 -7.34
21:57 1998-063A 7.8 AfriStar 21:57:00 00 40.78 -7.34
22: 5 unk 8.3 c) 22:05:00 00 40.65 -7.38
2002-10-10
20:23 2000-068A 7.5 Europe*star F1 20:23:30 00 55.37 -7.12
20:39 unk 7.5 9.0 d)e) 20:38:45 00 55.55 -7.27
20:43 2002-029A 8.5 20:43:30 00 55.55 -7.27
21:17 unk 8.0 f) 21:21:29 00 40.32 -7.70
21:17 2000-081A 8.5 Astra 2D 21:21:49 00 40.90 -7.25
21:39 1994-070A 6.5 21:39:10 00 40.68 -7.35
21:43 unk 8.5 inv f) g) 21:43:28 00 40.20 -7.76
21:53 1998-063A 8.0 21:53:15 00 40.69 -7.34
22: 1 unk 8.0 c) 22:01:00 00 40.67 -7.36
2002-10-17
20:40 2000-068A 7.5 20:45:04 01 44.7 -7.24
21:12 2002-029A 6.0 21:12:00 01 51.1 -7.18
21:23 2000-028A 8.0 Eutelsat W4 21:23:00 01 44.9 -7.30
21:23 2000-019A 6.5 SESat 21:23:00 01 43.8 -7.30
21:45 2001-011A 8.0 21:55:04 01 43.8 -7.40
21:45 2000-054A 7.3 Astra 2B 21:55:04 01 43.8 -7.40
21:45 1998-050A 7.3 Astra 2A 21:55:04 01 43.8 -7.40
21:45 2000-081A 8.0 21:55:04 01 43.8 -7.40
22: 7 1996-040A ? 22:07:23 01 44.2 -7.68
22:10 1998-006B 7.5 Inmarsat 3-F5 22:10:30 01 43.5 -7.16
22:25 unk 7.0 c) 22:26:01 01 33.7 -7.42
22:25 unk 8.0 c) 22:26:01 01 33.7 -7.42
22:25 unk 7.5 c) 22:26:01 01 33.7 -7.42
22:25 unk 8.0 c) 22:26:01 01 33.7 -7.42
2002-10-19
21: 5 2002-029A 6.7 21:04:50 01 50.2 -7.23
21:26 2000-028A 8.0 21:26:30 01 56.0 -7.42
21:27 2000-019A 6.5 21:26:30 01 56.0 -7.42
22: 0 2001-011A 8.0 22:00:50 01 56.0 -7.42
22: 0 unk 8.0 b) 22:00:50 01 56.0 -7.42
22: 9 unk ? h) 22:08:35 01 49.9 -7.36
22:29 unk 7.5 c) 22:28:00 01 43.9 -7.48
22:29 unk 8.5 c) 22:28:00 01 43.9 -7.48
22:29 unk 7.5 c) 22:28:00 01 43.9 -7.48
22:29 unk 8.5 c) 22:28:00 01 43.9 -7.48
2002-10-23
21:50 1994-070A 6.2 21:50:53 01 43.7 -7.36
21:57 1996-040A 8.5 21:57:20 01 57.8 -7.71
22:25 unk 8.5 c) 22:12:43 01 43.9 -7.48
22:25 unk 7.5 c) 22:12:43 01 43.9 -7.48
22:25 unk 7.5 c) 22:12:43 01 43.9 -7.48
22:25 unk 8.5 c) 22:12:43 01 43.9 -7.48
2002-10-27
22:25 unk 8.0 c) 22:31:45 02 18.9 -7.46
22:25 unk 9.0 c) 22:31:45 02 18.9 -7.46
22:25 unk 9.0 c) 22:31:45 02 18.9 -7.46
22:25 unk 8.0 c) 22:31:45 02 18.9 -7.46
Notes:
a) One of 2000-019A (26243) SESat
2000-028A (26369) Eutelsat W4
b) One of 1998-050A (25462) Astra 2A
2000-054A (26494) Astra 2B
2000-081A (26638) Astra 2D
c) One of 1991-015A (21139) Astra 1B
1993-031A (22653) Astra 1C
1995-055A (23686) Astra 1E
1996-021A (23842) Astra 1F
1997-076A (25071) Astra 1G
1999-033A (25785) Astra 1H
2001-025A (26853) Astra 2C
d) One of 1996-040B (23949) Turksat 1C
2001-002A (26666) Turksat 2A
e) varying 199.3 s for 100 max, stop time 20:39.5
f) could not identify object
g) varied in mag. very slowly
h) One of 1994-070A (23331) Astra 1D
1999-009A (25638) Arabat 3A
22:25 unk 8.0 c) 22:31:45 02 18.9 -7.46
General remarks:
Particularly for the group mentioned in note c) it was not
possible to identify the individual objects. They were visible as
an almost straight line perpendicular on the direction of motion
w.r.t. the background). The extreme members of the group were less
than 1/4 degree of each other.
Comparing the TLE's did not help, as they all had the same values,
except a small variation in the mean anomaly. Exception to this is
2001-025A
For this same group I saw several times 7 spots, two bright, two
faint. I wonder whether the bright spots were in fact more than
one object each, with so little separation that they could not be
resolved. I wish I had had more powerful optical means. I used my
10 x 60 (mm) binoculars.
These observation sessions give me taste for the more distant
satellites and therefore I think I better by me a telscope.
Any suggestions?
I started even dreaming of a Meade Autostar, when I read the book:
"How to Use a Computerized Telescope" of Michael Covington.
He describes that this guiding system might be able to follow
a satellite track by feeding it TLE's.
I suppose this is (far) beyond my financial means.
(Keep in mind that I am not clever with my hands)
Bram Dorreman,
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