Re: Two UNIDs from Manchaca TX

From: Björn Gimle (bg_26934@glocalnet.net)
Date: Tue Jul 25 2006 - 17:02:27 EDT

  • Next message: Alberto Rango: "4641 SATOBS 25 JUL 2006"

    My search is inconclusive - if your coordinates are OK and I typed them 
    correctly.
    I find "only" Cosmos 1266 (81037A, #12409), but it was <0.1 degree ABOVE 
    Jupiter 22:38:01 CDT, and not very fast (range 1465 km), but it was 
    southbound.
    BTW it is usually more conclusive to say (about this as an example - see 
    chart sent privately) that it was moving in direction 250 degrees 
    relative to the local vertical near Jupiter. Candidate below Jupiter >2 
    deg off, and >3 min early.
    
    Above Mizar and Benetnasch (I have Alkaid at that position) I have 
    Cosmos 489 rocket (named SL-8 R/B at SpaceTrack) #06020, 72035B, but at 
    6-8 degrees distance.
    It passed Mizar 23:26:15 and entered shadow 23:28:30, further south than 
    Envisat's exit, because it was higher, 964 km.
    At 2-3 degrees I have a Delta 1 rocket from ESSA 4 (DELTA 1 R/B #02661 
    67006B), but going N, and SkyMap predicts it at mag +10 - range 1900 km.
    
    There is a tool by Ted Molczan, IDsat, which requires typing your 
    observation details into a file,or using the graphic generation program 
    ObsReduce, also by Ted.
    It gives a text file result with time/position errors, and speed and 
    direction of motion. Example:
    "Maximum time difference = 120 s
    Maximum angular separation = 3 deg
                                    tdiff   Sep     mv    RCS  Range Trk  FE 
    Vang  Age    Unc
         Name       Desig   NORAD     s     deg    pred   m^2   km   deg 
    hour deg/s days    s
    -------------- -------- ----- -------- -----  ------  ---- ----- --- ---- 
     ----- ---- -------
    Cosmos 586 r   73065B    6829   104.41  2.30   5.2 v  7.18  1430 170 
    11.7  0.22    1     0.0
    Cosmos 1808    86100A   17239   -49.93  1.36   6.5 d  3.84  1461 170 
    11.9  0.21    0     0.0
    Cosmos 2227 r  92093B   22285    -0.18  0.02   3.3 v  17.8  1232  27 
    4.5  0.29   -0     0.0
    99057MG        99057MG  26759    52.03  0.02   9.3 r  .005  1072 348 
    6.1  0.30    7     1.2"
    
    I find it much easier to use a graphic prediction program (with sat 
    tracks and time+ID tags) to match my visual impression of 
    direction/speed of motion.
    My favourite is SkyMap by Rob Matson, which also allows you to suppress 
    objects at too large (or small) distance (~1/speed) and too faint 
    (predicted) magnitude.
    
    /Björn
    
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    ...
    > desired to be seen (wanted two, saw three). The observer was roughly 
    > at
    > 30d8m42.6sN 97d52m43.8sW. Both observations occurred on 19 July 2006 
    > CDT.
    >...
    > The first occurred between 22:37:55 and 22:38:20 CDT (0337 and 0338
    > UTC), within one degree directly below Jupiter. A fast-moving
    > south-bound object was observed. It was between 3.5 and 4.0 magnitude.
    ...
    >
    > The second was a naked-eye object of magnitude 2. It was spotted while
    > waiting for Envisat to show up in Bootes. Fifteen seconds prior to the
    > 23:28:00 CDT appearance time for Envisat, the observer noted a vehicle
    > coming up roughly parallel to Mizar A (RA 13:23:55.5 Dec 54:55:31.0) 
    > and
    > Benetnasch (RA 13:47:32.40 Dec 49:18:48.0) in Ursa Major, also 
    > traveling
    > southward. It was within five degrees of elevation above this line at
    > the time. It disappeared into the Earth's shadow within a few seconds 
    > of
    > Envisat coming out, so the two vehicles were at similar altitudes but
    > different inclinations.
    >
    ...
    >
    > For the future, what tools are available which would allow 
    > determination
    > of likely candidate vehicles? Will I have to write my own? SGP4 looks
    > challenging. 8>
    >
    > John
    >
    
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