Optical 20 March 2007

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Wed Mar 21 2007 - 09:43:15 EDT

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    Observations 20 Mar 2007:
    ------------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 2 (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 150mm aperture f/5 Celestron reflector on Vixen Super
    Polaris equatorial mount used in alt-azimuth configuration and fitted
    with stepper motors on azimuth and elevation axis. Integrating for
    96 frames which is equivalent to an exposure of 1.92 seconds per image.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude  33.94058 deg S,
    Elevation 10 metres - situated in Pinelands (Cape Town), South Africa
    
    
    
    For CLASSFD.TLE:
    ----------------------
    
    90041 05 775A   0433 G 20070320183456800 56 15 0510210+201613 39  +150 05
    90041 05 775A   0433 G 20070320183819800 56 15 0513510+201440 39  +155 05
    90041 05 775A   0433 G 20070320184022100 56 15 0515580+201328 39  +150 05
    90041 05 775A   0433 G 20070320184244900 56 15 0518260+201202 39  +145 05
    90043 05 835A   0433 G 20070320213202800 56 15 0827320+070238 39  +105 05
    90023 04 776A   0433 G 20070320215308100 56 15 0643490+004841 39  +105 05
    
    Strays seen:
    -----------------
    OPS9444 DSCS geostationary variable
    11622 79 098B   0433 G 20070320183819800 56 15 0513470+201015 39  +130 05
    11622 79 098B   0433 G 20070320184022100 56 15 0515490+201232 39  +125 05
    Ekran 7 geostationary variable
    12564 81 061A   0433 G 20070320191335000 56 15 1148110+083922 39  +115 05
    Cosmos 775 geostationary
    08357 75 097A   0433 G 20070320193729400 56 15 1115090+052458 39  +135 05
    SMS 1 geostationary
    07298 74 033A   0433 G 20070320193833300 56 15 1118000+050750 39  +155 05
    Intelsat 4A-F1 geostationary
    08330 75 091A   0433 G 20070320202605400 56 15 0923270+172555 39  +135 05
    
    Previously observed new unknowns:
    ------------------------------------------------
    (All geostationary or near geostationary)
    
    91101 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320213333100 56 15 1012260+075046 39  +130 05
    91101 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320213641100 56 15 1015310+075051 39  +125 05
    91101 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320213928400 56 15 1018160+075053 39  +125 05
    91102 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320212212500 56 15 0823480+071349 39  +130 05
    91102 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320212522400 56 15 0826440+071132 39  +130 05
    91102 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320212807800 56 15 0829180+070939 39  +130 05
    91103 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211547100 56 15 0948420+123458 39  +100 05
    91103 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211845700 56 15 0951410+123001 39  +105 05
    91103 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320212051600 56 15 0953460+122611 39  +105 05
    91104 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320203516200 56 15 0937230+164938 39  +140 05
    91104 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320203859900 56 15 0941090+164849 39  +145 05
    91104 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320204141600 56 15 0943520+164809 39  +140 05
    91105 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211150200 56 15 0857430+071731 39  +130 05
    91105 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211337400 56 15 0859280+071644 39  +115 05
    91105 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211528300 56 15 0901160+071615 39  +130 05
    91106 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320210507900 56 15 0726300+093400 39  +135 05
    91106 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320210728900 56 15 0728500+093649 39  +110 05
    91106 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320211003100 56 15 0731220+093953 39  +120 05
    91107 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320214646400 56 15 0956260+075256 39  +140 05
    91107 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320214901800 56 15 0958410+075318 39  +135 05
    91107 07 077GEO 0433 G 20070320215039600 56 15 1000190+075325 39  +140 05
    
    
    New unknowns:
    -------------------
    (All geostationary or near geostationary)
    
    91108 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320185339200 56 15 0455310+125611 39  +150 05
    91108 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320185558300 56 15 0457520+130106 39  +155 05
    91108 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320185706000 56 15 0459000+130323 39  +150 05
    91109 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320191839500 56 15 1058080+074304 39  +135 05
    91109 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320192242000 56 15 1101330+072314 39  +130 05
    91109 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320192621900 56 15 1104390+070458 39  +130 05
    91109 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320192943100 56 15 1107300+064810 39  +135 05
    91109 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320193351300 56 15 1111020+062734 39  +130 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320195035200 56 15 0651380+253215 39  +120 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320195345100 56 15 0654190+252614 39  +125 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320195708100 56 15 0657100+251937 39  +125 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320200025600 56 15 0659570+251303 39  +125 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320200526400 56 15 0704110+250243 39  +130 05
    91110 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320200955200 56 15 0707580+245306 39  +125 05
    91111 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320201227500 56 15 0912550+181014 39  +135 05
    91111 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320201554300 56 15 0916150+175343 39  +130 05
    91111 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320201843500 56 15 0918580+173959 39  +140 05
    91111 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320202845100 56 15 0928420+165021 39  +135 05
    91111 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320203204400 56 15 0931580+163329 39  +145 05
    91112 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320204946700 56 15 0959060+092107 39  +130 05
    91112 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320205109400 56 15 1000310+092133 39  +130 05
    91112 07 079GEO 0433 G 20070320205254700 56 15 1001480+092217 39  +125 05
    
    
    Notes:
    -------
    
    (1)  #90041 very faint - showed slight variability, no flashing
    
    (2)  #91101 - slight variability, no flashing
    
    (3)  #91102 - slight variability, no flashing
    
    (4)  #91103 - bright, slow variable
    
    (5)  #91104 - faintish, slight variability
    
    (6)  #91105 - slow bright variable
    
    (7)  #91106 - slow bright variable
    
    (8)  #91107 - faintish variable
    
    (9)  #91108 - rather faint, slight variability
    
    (10) #91109 - smooth variation, small amplitude
    
    (11) #91110 - regular period, about 26 seconds, fainter than
         mag +15 for most of cycle
    
    (12) #91111 - variable, short period
    
    (13) #91112 - slight variability,amplitude less than 0.5 magnitude.
    
    (14) My magnitude estimates are not the best. I have no database
         against which to compare my magnitudes but I suspect that I am
         reporting satellites too bright by a magnitude or two. I try and
         estimate a magnitude using background stars in the field of view
         but in many cases GUIDE does not show all the stars I can see
         and things are complicated by bright city lights at low elevations.
    
    (15) Still some more work to do on the 6 inch reflector but very pleased
         with results and expect to speed matters up considerably in the
         near future.
    
    Cheers
    Greg
    
    
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