Optical 08 Oct 2011

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Mon Oct 10 2011 - 08:57:33 UTC

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    Observations 08 October 2011
    --------------------------------
    
    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 ~100mm focal length f/2.8 lens,integrating for 128 fields
    which is equivalent to a max exposure of 2.56 seconds maximum
    per image, but dependent on sky brightness. Field of view
    4.2 x 3.1 degrees - monitor shows stars down to mag 11 so LEO
    limit in non-tracking mode about 7.5 mag. Auto tracking mode gives
    another 2 magnitudes gain.
    
    Individual frames are video time stamped with GPS derived signal.
    Images measured manually from DVD recording using VLC program.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    
    FOR CLASSIFIED.TLE:
    ---------------------
    NOSS 0r
    05679 71 110B   0433 P 20111008181823700 56 15 0650317-690139 39  +065 05
    05679 71 110B   0433 P 20111008181826200 56 15 0650138-684654 39  +065 05
    05679 71 110B   0433 P 20111008181830900 56 15 0649365-681536 39  +065 05
    NOSS 2(D)
    10529 77 112D   0433 P 20111008201818600 56 15 1952568-653111 39
    10529 77 112D   0433 P 20111008201800800 56 15 1922347-663945 39
    10529 77 112D   0433 P 20111008201831600 56 15 2014067-642518 39
    NOSS 2(E)
    10544 77 112E   0433 P 20111008204734800 56 15 1726526-522203 39
    10544 77 112E   0433 P 20111008204757900 56 15 1744330-515539 39
    NOSS 5(C)
    14143 83 056C   0433 P 20111008202759900 56 15 0103596-660346 39
    14143 83 056C   0433 P 20111008202833000 56 15 0153452-682426 39
    14143 83 056C   0433 P 20111008202853500 56 15 0223537-690046 39
    NOSS 8(F)
    18010 87 043F   0433 P 20111008180057400 56 15 2134403-013932 39  +080 05
    18010 87 043F   0433 P 20111008180241700 56 15 2224437-182944 39  +035 05
    18010 87 043F   0433 P 20111008180312600 56 15 2242146-232433 39  +040 05
    18010 87 043F   0433 P 20111008180333700 56 15 2254509-263838 39  +045 05
    NOSS 2-3(D)
    23862 96 029D   0433 P 20111008191050400 56 15 1459550-504713 39  +045 05
    23862 96 029D   0433 P 20111008191123700 56 15 1529225-504544 39  +030 05
    23862 96 029D   0433 P 20111008191157200 56 15 1603408-500118 39  +045 05
    NOSS 2-3(C)
    23908 96 029C   0433 P 20111008183256500 56 15 1634295-801106 39
    23908 96 029C   0433 P 20111008183347700 56 15 2049020-750203 39
    23908 96 029C   0433 P 20111008183433700 56 15 2218414-603554 39
    NOSS 2-3(E)
    23936 96 029E   0433 P 20111008183015100 56 15 2006501-811451 39
    23936 96 029E   0433 P 20111008183035600 56 15 2130524-765253 39
    23936 96 029E   0433 P 20111008183147500 56 15 2304241-520952 39
    MENTOR 2
    25336 98 029A   0433 P 20111008203624000 56 15 1919285-033809 39  +080 05
    25336 98 029A   0433 P 20111008203941200 56 15 1922480-033547 39  +080 05
    LACROSSE 5
    28646 05 016A   0433 P 20111008172215400 56 15 0138430-800759 39  +030 05
    28646 05 016A   0433 P 20111008172249000 56 15 0040151-692410 39  +030 05
    28646 05 016A   0433 P 20111008172306600 56 15 0028400-630535 39  +030 05
    28646 05 016A   0433 P 20111008172340800 56 15 0017482-501505 39  +030 05
    SBSS 1
    37168 10 048A   0433 P 20111008181519200 56 15 0220528-401923 39  +045 05
    37168 10 048A   0433 P 20111008181543600 56 15 0245389-462713 39  +050 05
    37168 10 048A   0433 P 20111008181558700 56 15 0302467-494652 39  +050 05
    OTV-2
    37375 11 010A   0433 P 20111008182526200 56 15 0713537-683935 39  +065 05
    37375 11 010A   0433 P 20111008182528700 56 15 0704300-681503 39  +065 05
    37375 11 010A   0433 P 20111008182537800 56 15 0633138-663240 39  +065 05
    90081
    90081 08 628A   0433 P 20111008190056400 56 15 1642541-174708 39  +055 05
    90081 08 628A   0433 P 20111008190251600 56 15 1642219-232023 39  +055 05
    90081 08 628A   0433 P 20111008190400700 56 15 1641390-270850 39  +055 05
    
    STRAYS SEEN:
    ---------------
    ARIANE 44 R/B range 7320 kms variable
    20316 89 087B   0433 P 20111008174816200 56 15 2115125+155231 39  +075 05
    NOAA 10 variable
    16969 86 073A   0433 P 20111008180547600 56 15 0140549-444037 39  +056 05
    JASON 2 steady
    33105 08 032A   0433 P 20111008180724600 56 15 0129550-495920 39  +065 05
    SJ-6E steady
    33408 08 053A   0433 P 20111008180837000 56 15 0126184-471933 39  +070 05
    SL-8 R/B steady
    12682 81 077B   0433 P 20111008180937400 56 15 0103016-521518 39  +055 05
    NIMBUS 5 steady
    06305 72 097A   0433 P 20111008181239300 56 15 0112396-515549 39  +060 05
    IRIDIUM 914 variable
    24836 97 030A   0433 P 20111008182020700 56 15 0718041-690642 39  +070 05
    CZ-4C R/B steady
    36835 10 038B   0433 P 20111008182050500 56 15 0714026-691754 39  +045 05
    ATLAS CEN R/B range 4395 kms  reg flashing to invisible
    10025 77 041B   0433 P 20111008184530900 56 15 1933511+275133 39  +050 05
    SL-16 R/B
    26070 00 006B   0433 P 20111008202047000 56 15 1112402-724800 39  +045 05
    COSMOS 1727 steady
    16510 86 008A   0433 P 20111008204417800 56 15 1627377-531829 39  +072 05
    
    UNKNOWN:
    --------------
    99999 99 999A   0433 P 20111008175140900 56 15 2120162+162815 39  +030 05
    99999 99 999A   0433 P 20111008175138400 56 15 2114271+162119 39  +030 05
    
    No match found in element database - approximate parameters
    inclination 31.12 degrees, RA node 13.55 degrees, height 450 kms
    standard magnitude +4.5
    
    Notes:
    ---------
    (1) For a change decided to track some leo satellites which turned out to
        be not so good an idea on account of the bright moon and the poor state
        of my MINTRON video camera which now has a LOT of dead pixels.
    
    (2) NOSS 0r seen by accident low in south - bright city lit sky made exact
        determination of end of trailed exposures a bit difficult.
    
    (3) Same story with OTV-2 - very low elevation <14 degrees) so had to get
        in gap between local buildings
    
    (4) NOSS 2-3(E) very faint and variable - had to use autotracking mode which
        increases magnitude about 4x
    
    (5) NOSS 2-3(C) also a bit faint - had to use autotracking mode
    
    (6) NOSS 2-3(D) relatively easy - some nice flashes - one to about mag +1
        or +2 - maybe regular variation. Obviously the NOSS 2-3 series are no
        longer operational or stabilised.
    
    (7) NOSS objects with no magnitude because auto tracking mode used so
        difficult to estimate brightness
    
    (8) MENTOR 2 still drifting.
    
    (9) USA 129 seen but too faint to measure as already in shadow when it 
    cleared
         local building.
    
    Cheers
    Greg 
    
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    This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 10 2011 - 09:00:27 UTC