Optical 25 Jan 2012 Part 1

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Thu Jan 26 2012 - 15:32:01 UTC

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    Observations 25 JAN 2012
    ----------------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
    
    FLI ML8300M CCD camera with mechanical shutter + Trimble GPS
    
    Used with NIKON ED AF NIKKOR 80-200mm f/2.8 telephoto lens
    set at 200mm focal length. Field of view 5.2 x 3.8 degrees,
    image scale 23.0 arc sec/pixel.
    Images processed and automatically reduced using APEX.
    Time is accurate to within 50 milliseconds. RMS error of
    positions reported by APEX as about 4 arc sec.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    
    FOR CLASSFD.TLE:
    ------------------------
    09415 76 091A   0433 F 20120125195338583 16 15 1054440-280847 59
    09415 76 091A   0433 F 20120125195509758 16 15 1157405-463800 29
    09415 76 091A   0433 F 20120125195558154 16 15 1245365-534424 19
    11389 79 050A   0433 F 20120125214202157 16 15 0131366-462324 79
    11389 79 050A   0433 F 20120125214207362 16 15 0136075-451359 39
    19460 88 078A   0433 F 20120125205430703 16 15 1237300-461335 29
    19460 88 078A   0433 F 20120125205500173 16 25 1306837-494571 38
    19460 88 078A   0433 F 20120125205559144 16 15 1406494-540322 19
    19460 88 078A   0433 F 20120125205611796 16 15 1419030-543255 59
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20120125220930399 16 15 0816092+122949 48
    19976 89 035A   0433 F 20120125221046119 16 15 0817169+122919 29
    20691 90 050C   0433 F 20120125201313173 16 15 1451293-773656 19
    20691 90 050C   0433 F 20120125201510211 16 15 1453325-652127 69
    20692 90 050D   0433 F 20120125201539816 16 25 1458827-660668 19
    21809 91 076E   0433 F 20120125210709381 16 15 2153510-733849 28
    21809 91 076E   0433 F 20120125210744752 16 15 2202033-791251 39
    21809 91 076E   0433 F 20120125210811874 16 15 2220316-841927 29
    21809 91 076E   0433 F 20120125210840569 16 15 0646261-884917 18
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213014663 16 15 1926340-732410 88
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213052551 16 15 2022424-765910 19
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213134649 16 15 2235333-793136 19
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213225143 16 25 0145192-751551 38
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213258809 16 15 0252337-675324 59
    23851 96 024A   0433 F 20120125213307224 16 15 0303282-654132 28
    23855 96 026A   0433 F 20120125221504119 16 15 0641414+150747 58
    23855 96 026A   0433 F 20120125221620927 16 15 0642444+150705 68
    23855 96 026A   0433 F 20120125221657137 16 15 0643319+150755 48
    24680 96 072A   0433 F 20120125200346109 16 15 1524021-711622 49
    24680 96 072A   0433 F 20120125200436319 16 25 1430433-770990 28
    24680 96 072A   0433 F 20120125200702341 16 15 0554463-600841 39
    24680 96 072A   0433 F 20120125200941855 16 15 0452210+083101 28
    24680 96 072A   0433 F 20120125200956837 16 25 0456201+103830 49
    25336 98 029A   0433 F 20120125221944450 16 15 0425450+133210 38
    25336 98 029A   0433 F 20120125222012334 16 15 0426131+133239 38
    27168 02 001A   0433 F 20120125221210009 16 15 0835596+103617 88
    27168 02 001A   0433 F 20120125221304995 16 15 0836556+103629 38
    27168 02 001A   0433 F 20120125221337936 16 15 0837286+103638 48
    29250 06 027B   0433 F 20120125211641834 16 15 0749335-330102 28
    29250 06 027B   0433 F 20120125211707036 16 15 0755408-295726 88
    32706 08 010A   0433 F 20120125193809519 16 15 0142284+130927 29
    32706 08 010A   0433 F 20120125193923091 16 15 0144098+112712 38
    32706 08 010A   0433 F 20120125194037612 16 15 0145537+093422 98
    32706 08 010A   0433 F 20120125194338299 16 25 0150188+041976 29
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20120125220131418 16 15 0930005+080448 38
    33490 09 001A   0433 F 20120125220513038 16 15 0933404+080244 38
    36104 09 066A   0433 F 20120125215706703 16 15 2108158-730401 19
    36104 09 066A   0433 F 20120125215711940 16 15 2119370-732651 29
    36104 09 066A   0433 F 20120125215717150 16 15 2131496-734931 19
    36105 09 066B   0433 F 20120125203209675 16 15 1432505-605042 88
    36105 09 066B   0433 F 20120125203243371 16 15 1350392-615311 49
    36105 09 066B   0433 F 20120125203300216 16 25 1323719-620173 49
    36105 09 066B   0433 F 20120125203308632 16 15 1309015-615730 59
    37228 10 062G   0433 F 20120125205827863 16 15 1353542-561251 98
    37228 10 062G   0433 F 20120125205840505 16 15 1406465-555918 88
    37228 10 062G   0433 F 20120125205857356 16 15 1422193-553434 49
    37228 10 062G   0433 F 20120125205910315 16 15 1432488-551340 28
    37228 10 062G   0433 F 20120125205918733 16 15 1439011-545542 88
    37375 11 011A   0433 F 20120125185333630 16 25 0159271+300792 39
    37375 11 011A   0433 F 20120125185343232 16 15 0215309+322241 37
    37375 11 011A   0433 F 20120125185405675 16 15 0255077+370543 29
    37375 11 011A   0433 F 20120125185428118 16 15 0334365+404623 28
    37375 11 011A   0433 F 20120125185434526 16 15 0345357+413742 29
    90070 06 829A   0433 F 20120125194753431 16 15 0949065+044702 79
    90070 06 829A   0433 F 20120125194831746 16 25 0952663+040460 28
    90070 06 829A   0433 F 20120125194908292 16 25 0956009+032508 79
    90070 06 829A   0433 F 20120125194923426 16 15 0957266+030816 19
    90070 06 829A   0433 F 20120125194941925 16 25 0959048+024970 38
    
    STRAYS SEEN:
    ---------------------
    08520 75 124B   0433 F 20120125203234945 16 15 1400472-625428 48
    08520 75 124B   0433 F 20120125203239159 16 15 1405430-625019 19
    08520 75 124B   0433 F 20120125203243371 16 15 1410153-624628 19
    08520 75 124B   0433 F 20120125203247594 16 15 1414278-624207 99
    09880 77 021A   0433 F 20120125211353528 16 15 0709260-483701 19
    09880 77 021A   0433 F 20120125211524202 16 15 0730068-404738 29
    09880 77 021A   0433 F 20120125211707036 16 25 0746247-325883 68
    09880 77 021A   0433 F 20120125211722933 16 25 0748276-315305 19
    09880 77 021A   0433 F 20120125211749723 16 15 0751285-300539 19
    17140 86 029C   0433 F 20120125211524202 16 15 0739060-423846 39
    17140 86 029C   0433 F 20120125211537081 16 15 0742189-391725 29
    18986 88 023B   0433 F 20120125194037612 16 25 0137105+064069 59
    21221 91 025E   0433 F 20120125221304995 16 15 0835472+094528 98
    21221 91 025E   0433 F 20120125221337936 16 15 0836166+100440 19
    28051 03 046A   0433 F 20120125215640678 16 15 2058342-724659 98
    28051 03 046A   0433 F 20120125215656297 16 15 2127044-734811 28
    
    NOTES:
    -------
    (1) Experimenting with a new setup for LEO satellites using wide
        field and APEX. The field of view at 80mm focal length is
        11.5 x 17.8 degrees but image scale unsuitable for accurate
        positional work so will not be used for normal work.
        With typical exposures of 5 to 20 seconds the 200mm shows stars
        to about mag +13/+14 (the 80mm lens about a magnitude less)
    
    (2) The set-up is ideal for observing satellites not on time.Using
        the CoSatrak program in auto track mode mag +10/+11 leo
        satellites are easy and with such a wide field there is some
        room for off track errors etc.
    
    (3) Disadvantage of the system is that quite a strain on the PC
        used for reductions - in some cases APEX had over 8000 catalog
        stars in the field of view (TYCHO 2 catalog) to process to find
        a field match so PC running at 100% CPU load for over 2 hours
        today- I need a faster PC/more memory ... The other disadvantage
        is that often there are several leo satellites in the field of
        view at the same time. The magnitude estimate returned by APEX is
        incorrect as APEX really intended for high altitude satellites.
    
    (4) Still more to report as I have to sort out some identities
        still as well as manually measure some images APEX did not like.
        Hopefully tomorrow.
    
    (5) Still have some mechanical/electronic changes to make in view of
        last nights experiences but overall very happy with the results.
        Video now bites the dust as will in future only be used for "finder"
        use. The CCD setup is more accurate and deeper penetrating.
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
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    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 26 2012 - 15:33:15 UTC