RE: Re first loss of 2005

From: Ted Molczan (molczan@rogers.com)
Date: Mon Jan 10 2005 - 19:13:53 EST

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    John wrote:
    
    > ... looking at the TLEs for the group , all seven satellites
    > are nicley clustered around 19.2 east.
    > 
    > That being so , how do we explain this
    > 
    > http://www.satcom.freeserve.co.uk/astrasjan1004.jpg
    > 
    > Six birds in a nice tight group...but number seven . well out 
    > to the east and still brighter than the rest.
    > Latest TLEs do indicate 1B is at 19.31 east.......my image 
    > puts it at least 19.5 , if not further east.
    
    I downloaded from Space-Track.Org the epoch 05010.00 TLEs of all 7 objects, and
    computed their AZ, EL, lat and long at the time of your image, 2005 Jan 10 at
    19:28:45 UTC:
    
    22653  1993-031A  Astra 1C  160.29  27.45  0.008 N  19.152 E
    25785  1999-033A  Astra 1H  160.25  27.44  0.008 N  19.186 E
    23686  1995-055A  Astra 1E  160.27  27.45  0.008 N  19.173 E
    26853  2001-025A  Astra 2C  160.27  27.35  0.082 S  19.195 E
    25071  1997-076A  Astra 1G  160.23  27.44  0.008 N  19.205 E
    23842  1996-021A  Astra 1F  160.19  27.43  0.008 N  19.237 E
    21139  1991-015A  Astra 1B  159.84  27.36  0.004 S  19.534 E
    
    The results confirm that at the time of your image, Astra 1B was well to the
    east of the six clustered close together. The relationships among the close six
    appear quite different from your image; however, I note that the TLEs of five of
    them were identical except of their mean anomaly, which seems unrealistic.
    
    Ted Molczan
    
    
    
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