Ted's reply: > I am able/willing to write the necessary > data entry software for use under MS Windows. > I appreciate Ted's proposal to write the data entry software. > > 00000 001111111111 22222222 2333333 3334 444 444 555555 555666666666677777777778 > 12345 789012345678 01234567 9012345 7890 234 678 012345 789012345678901234567890 > nnnnn yynnncccSite YYYYMMDD HHMMSSs MMmm MMm PPP RRRRRR Remarks > 26362 00 25C 1234 20040711 0854060 031 03 049 279 > > Col 01-05 satellite's catalogue number > > Col 07-14 satellite's international designation > 07-08 year > 09-11 sequence, right-justified > 12-14 piece, left-justified > > Col 15-18 Site number, right justified > > Col 20-27 observation date, UTC, yyyymmdd format > > Col 29-35 observation time, UTC, HHMMSSs format, with no variations allowed > > Col 37-40 observed magnitude, MMmm format, show leading zero, do not show > trailing non-significant zeros. Format accommodates negative magnitudes, by > placing (-) sign in col 37. > > Col 42-44 estimated accuracy, MMm format > > Col 46-48 phase angle, deg (optional?) > > Col 50-55 range, km (optional?) > > Col 56-80 Remarks > I like Ed's and Ted's elaborated magnitude reporting format as presented above. In the current PPAS format the dates and times specify separator characters because we (the PPAS team of about 1990) thought that would increase readability. However if date and time are separated by at least one space these two items are still readable At least to me, so I have no doubt to accept this. Since about one year I try to accurately estimate satellite magnitudes by comparing the satellite with stars. I experience this as not easy, because most satellites are moving rather fast and distances between them and reference stars are often large. Nevertheless I think it is worth while. There are still some questions/proposals: 1. I would like to report the position angle and my prediction software: - program SAT (written by Belgian Patrick Wils) - program Quicksat (by Mike McCants) supply this value for the predicted points. The magnitude estimation can however been done somewhere in between the predicted points. How to derive the position angle in that case? 2. Is there anyone in our satellite observers community who will take care of the site designations. I know that Pierre Neirinck and Russell Eberst are|were involved in this. Because Pierre and Russell are first generation observers and like orbital analysis and observing I can imagine that they want someone else to take over this task. I'm willing to be that "some one" if I get the proper instructions. I know there is some geographical relationship between site number and what originally was the organizing country. 3. I am already the PPAS collector and I'm willing to set up that magnitude observation database according to the format we eventually determine. Bram Dorreman Collector PPAS observations ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe/Unsubscribe info, Frequently Asked Questions, SeeSat-L archive: http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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