Observations 30 Dec 2005: (Part 2)
---------------------------------------------
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
For CLASSFD.TLE:
-------------------------
90043 05 835A 0433 G 20051231001830400 56 15 0600220+070002 39 +095 05
90013 03 564A 0433 G 20051231002738000 56 15 1015007+101959 39 +077 05
90042 05 828A 0433 G 20051230201920700 56 15 0703310+054935 39 +115 05
90042 05 828A 0433 G 20051230205852600 56 15 0743104+061015 39 +115 05
Strays seen :
---------------
OPS 0054 (DMSP)
04331 70 012A 0433 G 20051230185818200 56 15 0529061+040421 39 +075 05
Meteor 3M
27001 01 056A 0433 G 20051230190437600 56 15 0548589+043250 39 +055 05
Delta 2 R/B
20303 89 085B 0433 G 20051230190835200 56 15 0606514+045840 39 +025 05
Thor Ablestar rocket
01508 65 065B 0433 G 20051230191422000 56 15 0632253+051243 39 +065 05
IRS 1B
21688 91 061A 0433 G 20051230191634500 56 15 0644126+053336 39 +060 05
Intelsat 702
23124 94 034A 0433 G 20051230195720800 56 15 0632441+052048 39 +090 05
Insat 3E
27951 03 043E 0433 G 20051230195720800 56 15 0633337+052055 39 +090 05
Express AM 22
28134 03 060A 0433 G 20051230195821500 56 15 0625358+052023 39 +100 05
28134 03 060A 0433 G 20051230200532800 56 15 0632436+052032 39 +100 05
Globalstar M022
25649 99 012A 0433 G 20051230195820700 56 15 0629150+041936 39 +045 05
NSS703 (Intelsat)
23305 94 064A 0433 G 20051230200130400 56 15 0646239+051952 39 +105 05
Ariane 44l R/B range 18510 kms
21654 91 055B 0433 G 20051230200400400 56 15 0632254+075138 39 +091 05
Cosmos 2393 variable
27613 02 059A 0433 G 20051230220318700 56 15 0251024+163155 39 +080 05
27613 02 059A 0433 G 20051230220309700 56 15 0248281+155810 39 +080 05
27613 02 059A 0433 G 20051230220330200 56 15 0254121+171228 39 +080 05
SL-8 R/B
21984 92 030J 0433 G 20051230235752100 56 15 0635407-552202 39 +060 05
Ariane 42P R/B range 16000 kms
23847 96 022B 0433 G 20051230203028600 56 15 0706528+044557 39 +090 05
Bonum 1
25546 98 068A 0433 G 20051230203322900 56 15 0713419+051922 39 +120 05
Ariane 42L R/B range 15200 kms
26299 00 020B 0433 G 20051230203626400 56 15 0708552+082627 39 +090 05
ETS 6 variable range 29700 kms
23230 94 056A 0433 G 20051230205652800 56 15 0728458+045857 39 +095 05
Another unknown ?
----------------------
91054 05 364LEO 0433 G 20051231000839800 56 15 0813165+180229 39 +085 05
91054 05 364LEO 0433 G 20051231000840900 56 15 0812469+182018 39 +085 05
91054 05 364LEO 0433 G 20051231000841900 56 15 0812167+183602 39 +080 05
91054 05 364LEO 0433 G 20051231000842900 56 15 0811398+185250 39 +080 05
91054 05 364LEO 0433 G 20051231000844000 56 15 0811154+190841 39 +080 05
Notes:
-------
(1) Despite a fairly extensive search for the unknown #91052
(geostationary?)
I was unable to find it. The original discovery was based on it
appearing
in two fields captured and the images looked positive but faint and
since it appeared in differant parts in each field I could safely rule
out CCD chip blemishes, dead/hot pixels and cosmic ray strikes. I
shall
have to keep a watch out for it as the transparancy may have been bad
enough to make it fainter than 12th magnitude.
(2) #27613 (Cosmos 2393) was originally unidentified but it would appear
that
the satellite was running late on the elements in my database. It has
a very elliptical orbit with low perigee.
(3) #91054 is an unknown I do not find a match for in my database. I very
much doubt that I will get it again as the arc was too small for any
hope of a reasonable orbit and I did not realise at the time that it
was an unknown otherwise I might have been able to follow it and get
observations over a larger arc.
(4) I still have a few more fields to examine so there may possibly be a
Part 3 for 30th December 2005.
(5) Finally - I have noticed two interesting "facts" for my location. If
I want to see Ariane rockets a good area is around azimuth 54 at
about elevation 34 to 38 degrees, and for elliptical orbit satellites
with an inclination around 63.5 degrees I mostly seem to locate them
at a fairly constant azimuth ( must look up the value - I know its
always the same gap in a nearby tree!) and always seem to have them
setting over the same point of my house roof. I guess there is no real
scientific basis for this being a "fact" but it seems to be happening
too often :-))
(6) I wont be tracking tonight - too many late nights!
Cheers
Greg
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