Obs 27 June 2005

From: Greg Roberts (grr@iafrica.com)
Date: Wed Jun 29 2005 - 11:42:15 EDT

  • Next message: Alberto Rango: "4541 PPAS 28 Jun 2005"

    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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