Observations 19 Jun 2007:
-------------------------------
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 25mm focal length f/1.4 lens,integrating for 128 frames
which is equivalent to an exposure of 2.56 seconds per image.
Field of view approximately 14.3 x 11.6 degrees. Faintest star shown
about magnitude +8.5.
Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude 33.94058 deg S,
Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
For CLASSIFIED.TLE:
-----------------------
18025 87 043H 0433 G 20070619172310800 56 15 1210010+200746 39 +070 05
90060 06 640A 0433 G 20070619172906700 56 15 1210412+163940 39 +061 05
90060 06 640A 0433 G 20070619172916900 56 15 1233522+160927 39 +057 05
90060 06 640A 0433 G 20070619172925900 56 15 1254386+153634 39 +058 05
Strays seen:
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OPS 1294 DMSP 5D-2F7 mag +4.5 slow vary
14506 83 113A 0433 G 20070619164553700 56 15 1214430+154800 39 +045 05
ETS 7 steady
25064 97 074B 0433 G 20070619164833300 56 15 1234590+181544 39 +030 05
CZ-4 DEB mag +2.5 to invisible variable
26186 99 057BY 0433 G 20070619165121800 56 15 1203560+172049 39 +025 05
Timed mag 4.5 steady
26998 01 055B 0433 G 20070619165225200 56 15 1203180+141238 39 +045 05
CZ-4 Rocket body mag +3 steady
27432 02 024C 0433 G 20070619165337500 56 15 1220410+130237 39 +030 05
Atlas Agena D rocket mag +4 steady
02144 66 031B 0433 G 20070619165616100 56 15 1218440+125303 39 +040 05
Cosmos 2401 mag 6.5 variable
27869 03 037B 0433 G 20070619165925200 56 15 1217040+161514 39 +065 05
SL-14 Rocket body mag +7 variable
11087 78 100D 0433 G 20070619170541900 56 15 1256330+171513 39 +070 05
Delta 1rocket body mag +4.5 steady
10517 77 118B 0433 G 20070619171218500 56 15 1211350+174016 39 +045 05
SL-8 rocket body mag +7.5 variable
20578 90 036B 0433 G 20070619171132700 56 15 1254290+155820 39 +075 05
SL-18 rocket body magnitude +5.0 variable
26703 01 007B 0433 G 20070619172400100 56 15 1225470+153437 39 +050 05
Cosmos 2327 magnitude 7.0 variable
23773 96 004A 0433 G 20070619172548900 56 15 1205240+160613 39 +070 05
Leasat 1 PKM magnitude +4.5 steady
15390 84 113E 0433 G 20070619172629800 56 15 1234120+112624 39 +045 05
SL-8 rocket body magnitude +5.0 steady
04800 70 108B 0433 G 20070619173224400 56 15 1252010+172630 39 +050 05
Meteor 3-2 magnitude +7.0 steady
19336 88 064A 0433 G 20070619181613600 56 15 1250500+160657 39 +070 05
Superbird A geostationary regular flasher period about 20 seconds
20040 89 041A 0433 G 20070619181651600 56 15 1215020+121034 39 +080 05
Cosmos 375 magnitude 6.5 variable
04598 70 091A 0433 G 20070619182740400 56 15 1214520+144152 39 +065 05
Ariane 5 debrii (SYLDA) mag 6.5 steady, range 9800 kms
28545 05 005D 0433 G 20070619183002700 56 15 1221470+093301 39 +065 05
SL-24 rocket magnitude +7.0 steady
28811 05 031C 0433 G 20070619173752100 56 15 1243100+152257 39 +070 05
Cosmos 1677 magnitude +5.5 steady
15986 85 075A 0433 G 20070619174107400 56 15 1212450+164914 39 +055 05
Iridium 31 magnitude 7.0 variable
24950 97 051G 0433 G 20070619175941000 56 15 1230340+143912 39 +070 05
Globalstar MO53 magnitude 6.5 variable
25886 99 043D 0433 G 20070619180342900 56 15 1230270+111939 39 +065 05
Thor Delta 1 rocket magnitude +6.0 steady
12889 81 100C 0433 G 20070619180938800 56 15 1226370+144902 39 +060 05
Atlas Centaur rocket range 9600 kms variable +6 to inv, slow smooth var.
10722 78 002B 0433 G 20070619190740300 56 15 1246100+212419 39 +060 05
Delta 2 rocket body mag 6.5,long period to invisible
23640 95 041B 0433 G 20070619190926100 56 15 1221410+190916 39 +065 05
Atlas Cent rocket range 3500km period ~ 19 sec ,reg +5 to +7 - pretty
12069 80 087B 0433 G 20070619191746500 56 15 1214290+144735 39 +050 05
Notes:
--------
(1) Purpose of evening was to test out a short focal length lens, with
relatively wide field of view to be used for locating lost or unknown
satellites. Set on a random position in the sky, in this case
RA 12h30m Dec +15deg 00m and let CoSaTrak track this position at
sidereal rate so that stars appeared stationary in the one minute
summed expsoures taken with SKYPATROL program.
(2) Noss 8(H) positions - fair accuracy - on limit of this system and at
extreme edge of field.
(3) 90060 seen purely by chance- as luck had it it was passing through
perigee at a range of 966 kms so was nice and bright. Used SATREC to
determine astrometric positions so should be relatively accurate.
SATREC provided the magnitude estimates as well as stating that
the mean error of positions was about 33 arc seconds and the pixel
size of the camera was 72 x 68 arc seconds, so achieving half pixel
accuracy.
(4) Conclusions: This lens, on my system, has no problems seeing satellites
down to about magnitude 6.7/7-depending on speed of satellite. Mag 7
or fainter satellites are difficult and could be missed. On account
of the large field size it is easy to miss slow moving satellites,but,
using SKYPATROL, all satellites brighter than about magnitude 7 are
readily obvious, so for reasonably bright satellites it should be
adequate for finding the brighter lost/unknowns.
Cheers
Greg
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