Optical 30/31 Dec 2008-all

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Thu Jan 01 2009 - 12:25:51 UTC

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    Observations 30/31 Dec 2008
    -------------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
    Camera mount now carries two systems that can be operated
    together as two totally different sytems and computers used.
    Generally the DSI Pro II camera will be used for high altitude
    slow moving objects. Tests seem to indicate that its sensitivity
    is comparable to the MINTRON ( possibly better) but as its not
    possible (?) to time stamp to better than 1 second accuracy the
    time resolution is not good enough for LEO objects.
    
    (1) 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 50mm focal length f/1.8 lens,integrating for 128 fields
    which is equivalent to a max exposure of 2.56 seconds maximum
    per image. Field of view 6.8 x 5.4 degrees.
    Individual frames are video time stamped with GPS derived signal.
    
    (2)Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome CCD camera without filters.
    using integration times of 20 sec min to 60 seconds maximum
    depending on brightness of sky in particular area.No image
    processing done but dark field applied.
    Used with 200mm focal length f/2.8 Nikkon telephoto lens,
    field of view 1.88 x 1.40 degrees. Can get to magnitude 13
    or so in less than 20 seconds exposure.
    Exposure time to nearest second inserted into image FITS header
    from PC clock which is automatically checked every minute against
    GPS signal.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    FOR CLASSFD.TLE:
    -----------------------------
    91132 08 859GEO 0433 E 20081230194050000 56 15 0344010+052331 39  +135 05
    91132 08 859GEO 0433 E 20081230215825000 56 15 0601228+053304 39  +110 05
    91132 08 859GEO 0433 E 20081230220427000 56 15 0607262+053319 39  +110 05
    91132 08 859GEO 0433 E 20081231000803000 56 15 0810511+054046 39  +125 05
    91132 08 859GEO 0433 E 20081231000632000 56 15 0809194+054047 39  +125 05
    26575 00 065A   0433 E 20081231002139000 56 15 0556169+052413 39  +105 05
    27691 03 008A   0433 E 20081230190240000 56 15 0601293+051811 39  +110 05
    27691 03 008A   0433 E 20081230190552000 56 15 0604398+051820 39  +110 05
    22915 93 074A   0433 E 20081230190810000 56 15 0552423+061236 39  +110 05
    22915 93 074A   0433 E 20081230191422000 56 15 0558551+062140 39  +110 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 E 20081230191623000 56 15 0449079+102147 39  +100 05
    19976 89 035A   0433 E 20081230191934000 56 15 0451468+102424 39  +100 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 E 20081230192039000 56 15 0205173+102528 39  +105 05
    14675 84 009A   0433 E 20081230192306000 56 15 0207334+102903 39  +105 05
    23855 96 026A   0433 E 20081230192359000 56 15 0245201+090541 39  +105 05
    23855 96 026A   0433 E 20081230192626000 56 15 0247322+091049 39  +105 05
    23223 94 054A   0433 E 20081230192805000 56 15 0001011+000631 39  +110 05
    23223 94 054A   0433 E 20081230193117000 56 15 0004131+000857 39  +110 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 E 20081230195000000 56 15 0329510+071827 39  +080 05
    32287 07 054A   0433 E 20081230195417000 56 15 0334075+071505 39  +110 05
    
    Strays seen:
    ---------------
    EUTELSAT W3 geostationary
    25673 99 018A   0433 E 20081230194050000 56 15 0346580+053132 39  +110 05
    SL-12 R/B geostationary
    29233 06 022D   0433 E 20081230215825000 56 15 0604186+060451 39  +105 05
    EXPRESS 3A geostationary
    26378 00 031A   0433 E 20081231001808000 56 15 0556505+053117 39  +105 05
    ATLANTIC BIRD 2 geostationary
    26927 01 042A   0433 E 20081231001451000 56 15 0606384+052855 39  +105 05
    INTELSAT 904 geostationary
    27380 02 007A   0433 E 20081230190240000 56 15 0601547+051740 39  +110 05
    NSS 703 geostationary
    23305 94 064A   0433 E 20081230190810000 56 15 0553529+051738 39  +115 05
    SL-12 R/B geostationary, steady
    23683 95 054D   0433 E 20081230223004000 56 15 0606390+094839 39  +110 05
    ARIANE 44 LP Debri  range 22900 kms, variable
    25668 92 060E   0433 E 20081230223408000 56 15 0627007+100929 39  +090 05
    INTELSAT 604 geostationary
    20667 90 056A   0433 E 20081230223918000 56 15 0608110+080747 39  +110 05
    ATLAS CENTAUR ROCKET  , nice regular flasher mag +8 to +11
    06779 71 116B   0433 E 20081230224729000 56 15 0604281+065144 39  +080 05
    COSMOS 2379 geostationary
    26892 01 037A   0433 E 20081230224830000 56 15 0608367+072143 39  +110 05
    EUTELSAT W1 geostationary
    26487 00 052A   0433 E 20081230225741000 56 15 0611295+053421 39  +095 05
    HOTBIRD 7A geostationary
    28946 06 007B   0433 E 20081230231158000 56 15 0639138+052949 39  +085 05
    HOTBIRD 6 geostationary
    27499 02 038A   0433 E 20081230231158000 56 15 0639200+053020 39  +085 05
    HOTBIRD 8 geostationary
    29270 06 032A   0433 E 20081230231158000 56 15 0639243+053456 39  +085 05
    IUS R/B(1) range 22640 kms, steady
    21640 91 054C   0433 E 20081230231358000 56 15 0643562+061937 39  +100 05
    EUTELSAT W2 geostationary
    25491 98 056A   0433 E 20081230231601000 56 15 0657018+053444 39  +090 05
    SICRAL 1 geostationary
    26694 01 005A   0433 E 20081230231601000 56 15 0657386+060114 39  +085 05
    ASTRA 1KR geostationary
    29055 06 012A   0433 E 20081230231903000 56 15 0714438+052656 39  +090 05
    ASTRA 1H geostationary
    25785 99 033A   0433 E 20081230231903000 56 15 0714485+052731 39  +095 05
    H-2A R/B range 34970 kms, reg flasher period ~ 5 sec, mag +11 to +12
    27369 02 003C   0433 E 20081230232413000 56 15 0655268+050647 39  +110 05
    ARIANE 5 R/B ,range 34620 kms, steady
    29275 06 033D   0433 E 20081230232615000 56 15 0702593+045435 39  +100 05
    SL-12 R/B(2), range 20120 kms, variable
    21011 90 110F   0433 E 20081230234842000 56 15 0728349+031110 39  +120 05
    SL-6 R/B(2) variable
    11079 78 095E   0433 E 20081230200548400 56 15 0954414-292740 39  +075 05
    COSMOS 1261 steady
    12409 81 037A   0433 E 20081230200624500 56 15 0956090-301742 39  +055 05
    GLOBALSTAR M045 variable
    25676 99 019A   0433 E 20081230201038800 56 15 0953573-320019 39  +060 05
    THORAD DELTA 1 variable
    08307 74 089BQ  0433 E 20081230201437800 56 15 0956332-325939 39  +070 05
    SL-8 R/B
    22007 92 036B   0433 E 20081230201805400 56 15 0953118-360047 39  +060 05
    EO 1 variable
    26619 00 075A   0433 E 20081230202251200 56 15 0953558-361703 39  +065 05
    GLOBALSTAR M069
    31573 07 020C   0433 E 20081230203135800 56 15 0952155-424819 39  +050 05
    COSMOS 2214 variable
    22185 92 068D   0433 E 20081230203559400 56 15 0943092-445843 39  +080 05
    GLOBALSTAR M046
    25651 99 012C   0433 E 20081230203823200 56 15 0948260-470211 39  +060 05
    COSMOS 2406
    28352 04 021A   0433 E 20081230210814600 56 15 0731423-722606 39  +035 05
    ADEOS steady
    27597 02 056A   0433 E 20081230212115400 56 15 0257124-723636 39  +025 05
    COSMOS 2276 (GLONASS) variable
    23043 94 021A   0433 E 20081230213154000 56 15 0130033-634648 39  +075 05
    
    UNKNOWN:
    -------------------
    91138 08 865LEO 0433 E 20081230201342800 56 15 0957536-334829 39  +080 05
    91138 08 865LEO 0433 E 20081230201346800 56 15 0954545-330935 39  +080 05
    91138 08 865LEO 0433 E 20081230201350800 56 15 0952130-323248 39  +080 05
    
    Notes:
    --------
    
    (1) New unknown #91138. Not worth bothering about as faint and variable.
        Looks like a LEO in polar orbit so probably debri of some sort.
        Positions not that accurate as difficult to see end of trails due to
        its faintness and variability.
    
    (2) Update on recent unknowns:
    
        #91132 - have a good orbit now, drifting westward, may have problems
                 observing it as moon waxes.
        #91133 and #91134 - thanks to Mike McCants these have now been
        identified as INTELSAT 702 and INSAT 3E. It would appear that SPACECOM
        has "lost" them thats why they were not in the elements database and
        no match could be found. So #91133 and #91134 now bite the dust.
        #91135 - could be high inclination near geo or GTO. Unless seen again
        probably now lost - no loss.
        #91136 - not seen again despite looking several times.
        #91137 - because of the very short arc a large number of possible
        orbits - probably lost.
        #91138 - probably leo polar debri - not worth bothering about.
    
    (3) Did a grid search of the geobelt from az 345 to az 360 in 1.5 degree
        steps and elevation 45 to 55 degrees in 1.0 degree steps, so covering
        about 150 square degrees. Took about 100 minutes to do this using 50
        second exposures. Nothing exciting , ie "unknown" found.
    
    
    Happy New Year !
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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