Re: Sat track photo
Alan Pickup (alan@wingar.demon.co.uk)
Mon, 27 Sep 1999 07:55:30 +0100
JAY RESPLER <jrespler@superlink.net> writes
>Also, aren't the trails going exactly w-e, and n-s? They are not going
>left-right, up-down. It would be odd for something causing a pattern to be
>offset from the vertical of the camera just enough to be aligned exactly
>with the equator.
I presume that the refractor is mounted on an equatorial mounting, If
not, then the field of view would have rotated considerably as the long-
exposure photograph was taken. With an equatorial mounting, "up-down" is
exactly N-S and "left-right" is exactly E-W.
>
>I think it has to be explained how this refractor could have caused a
>diffraction pattern that looks like the photo. Otherwise we're back to
>figuring which sats they are.
>
In which case it has to be explained how two satellites trails could be
so exactly aligned on the two brightest stars in the Orion Nebula, and
be moving exactly N-S. IMHO, the chances are astronomically small and
much less than that there is an instrumental effect, "explained" or
otherwise. As I said before, "instrumental effect" includes not just the
telescope optics, but the camera, film and film handling/processing both
before and after the exposure.
Alan
--
Alan Pickup | COSPAR 2707: 55d53m48.7s N 3d11m51.2s W 156m asl
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