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 _______________________________________________ Seesat-l mailing list http://mailman.satobs.org/mailman/listinfo/seesat-l
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Jan 26 2012 - 15:33:15 UTC