Observations 27 June 2005:
-------------------------------------
Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
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 145mm focal length f/2.5 lens. I normally integrate for
96 frames for geostationary objects which is equivalent to an
exposure of 1.92 seconds per image. Successive images are then
stacked on top of one another 200 times, giving an effective total
exposure of 200*1.92 seconds = 384 seconds. Stars show up as trailed
objects whilst geostationary satellites appear as dots if the
inclination is close to 0 degrees or else as slightly trailed
objects, the length of the trail depending on the inclination and
altitude.
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
Conditions good - very cold (for Cape Town! 10 deg C) and very high
humidity - conditions the camera seems to like whilst my feet freeze!
For Classfd.tle:
-----------------
27168 02 001A 0433 G 20050627171246200 56 15 1143438+041221 39 +100 05
27712 03 012B 0433 G 20050627172611900 56 15 1116308+041002 39 +085 05
27712 03 012B 0433 G 20050627184218600 56 15 1233282+083734 39 +095 05
27938 03 041B 0433 G 20050627172217400 56 15 1338217+030634 39 +090 05
90003 99 503A 0433 G 20050627193020000 56 15 1319099+055901 39 +100 05 018000
90013 03 564A 0433 G 20050627175102200 56 15 1523054+002238 39 +080 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20050627171036100 56 15 1219005+064518 39 +100 05
90016 03 766A 0433 G 20050627194034800 56 15 1507543+012530 39 +090 05
90030 05 544A 0433 G 20050627193208200 56 15 1141285+094627 39 +110 05
90031 05 546A 0433 G 20050627173056800 56 15 1655537+045902 39 +105 05
90031 05 546A 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1900107+043810 39 +095 05
90034 05 592A 0433 G 20050627193648500 56 15 1559261+043156 39 +110 05
90035 05 625A 0433 G 20050627174306500 56 15 1627406+051930 39 +105 05
90035 05 625A 0433 G 20050627194305200 56 15 1827590+051452 39 +090 05
90036 05 629A 0433 G 20050627174510800 56 15 1720582+030419 39 +100 05
90036 05 629A 0433 G 20050627193854300 56 15 1914537+034652 39 +095 05
90037 05 638A 0433 G 20050627174710900 56 15 1712308-034732 39 +085 05
90038 05 638B 0433 G 20050627174510800 56 15 1718495+013514 39 +090 05
90038 05 638B 0433 G 20050627174901700 56 15 1722414+013738 39 +090 05
90038 05 638B 0433 G 20050627193854300 56 15 1912442+030438 39 +090 05
Known geostationaries:
-----------------------------------
SATCOM C1 - invisible except for one very bright slow flash
20945 90 100A 0433 G 20050627190254300 56 15 1739216+050828 39 +070 05
COSMOS 2172
21789 91 079A 0433 G 20050627171548000 56 15 1110533+140505 39 +120 05
HISPASAT 1A
22116 92 060A 0433 G 20050627190254300 56 15 1733287+053933 39 +110 05
NSS 703
23305 94 064A 0433 G 20050627182350800 56 15 1655172+051630 39 +105 05
23305 94 064A 0433 G 20050627190254300 56 15 1734210+051638 39 +095 05
PAS 4
23636 95 040A 0433 G 20050627180351400 56 15 1740133+050805 39 +120 05
COSMOS 2350
25315 98 025A 0433 G 20050627173056800 56 15 1656429+055003 39 +110 05
25315 98 025A 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1900383+033928 39 +105 05
PAS 7
25473 98 052A 0433 G 20050627173056800 56 15 1652551+051254 39 +105 05
25473 98 052A 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1857130+051036 39 +100 05
LMI 1
25924 99 053A 0433 G 20050627175945200 56 15 1748426+050708 39 +100 05
ARIANE DEBRI
26471 00 046C 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1854583+045355 39 +110 05
PAS 10
26766 01 019A 0433 G 20050627173056800 56 15 1652078+051203 39 +110 05
26766 01 019A 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1856259+051024 39 +105 05
INTELSAT 902
26900 01 039A 0433 G 20050627185849400 56 15 1752058+053933 39 +110 05
RADUGA 16
26936 01 045A 0433 G 20050627193500300 56 15 1901491+045627 39 +095 05
INSAT 3C - KALPANA 1 #27525 02043A very close-only one sat seen - ident?
27298 02 002A 0433 G 20050627175312600 56 15 1737562+050908 39 +110 05
INTELSAT 904
27380 02 007A 0433 G 20050627174306500 56 15 1627391+051603 39 +100 05
27380 02 007A 0433 G 20040627194305200 56 15 1827508+051352 39 +090 05
ATLANTIC BIRD 3
27460 02 035A 0433 G 20050627193005900 56 15 1320488+052521 39 +125 05
THURAYA 2
27825 03 025A 0433 G 20050627175102200 56 15 1524438-000003 39 +090 05
GSAT 3
28417 04 036A 0433 G 20050627175312600 56 15 1738277+050834 39 +110 05
Known Leo/Heo objects:
--------------------------------
SL-8 R/B
11574 79 089B 0433 G 20050627171321600 56 15 1109304+132343 39 +070 05
ATLAS CENTAUR ROCKET - variable
12445 80 098B 0433 G 20050627201204200 56 15 1501567-075329 39 +065 05
GLOBALSTAR M031
25946 99 058D 0433 G 20050627172820300 56 15 0940494+113023 39 +085 05
Notes:
-------
(1) Following Teds suggestion that the unknown observed on the 21 June
at 17h27m09s UT might have been the rocket from the launch of XSS-11
(05011A) I did an orbit plane search. However conditions were not
good as the sky was too bright and the phase angle was poor. Due to
cloudy weather I could not do the scan before the 27th June.
However at about the predicted time - based on Teds provisional
elements, a short trail of a faint object varying in brightness was
obtained. The ends of the trail are not well defined and Im not sure
the entire trail was visible.
UNFORTUNATELY ELEKTRON 1 #00746 was predicted to go over at the same
time,position and direction so what was observed may have been a brief
flash from ELEKTRON 1 but the impression I had was that the angular
velocity was far too fast for a satellite at ELEKTRON 1's range of
5373 kilometres so I am not entirely convinced that it was ELEKTRON 1.
As best I can determine the following are times and positions of where
I think the ends of the ill defined trail are:
16h35m41.7s UT RA 09h37m32.8s Dec +00d 18'50" (J2000)
16h35m43.6s UT RA 09h37m44.0s Dec +00d 13'39" (J2000)
Using the track angle to determine the inclination is not that straight
forward as the mount was moving as it tracked the orbit plane so the
track will be deviated from the true track.
The following may enable someone whos maths is better than mine to
estimate the deviation correction needed:
Predicted position of the orbit plane: ( the mount moves smoothly and
at a linear speed from one position to the next)
16h35m30s UT az 304.64 El 40.68 degrees
16h36m00s UT 304.12 40.31
However this correction will probably not be needed because ELEKTRON 1
has an inclination considerably different from XSS-11 so the track
angle from the observations as given above should rule out one of the
satellites (or both!)
I have still to go through the recording of the rest of the plane
scanned - about 30 minutes duration but first impression was that
nothing else was seen.
Cheers
Greg
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