Optical 20 Sept 2009

From: Greg Roberts (grr@telkomsa.net)
Date: Sun Sep 20 2009 - 21:02:36 UTC

  • Next message: Ted Molczan: "PAN probably found"

    Observations 20 SEPT 2009
    ------------------------------------
    
    Cosatrak 1 (Computerised satellite Tracking System).
    Camera mount now carries two systems that can be operated
    together as two totally different sytems and computers used.
    
    Meade DSI Pro II Monochrome CCD camera without filters.
    using integration times of 5 sec min to 25 seconds maximum
    depending on brightness of sky in particular area.No image
    processing done, but some done automatically in the auto reduction
    software.
    
    Used with 4 inch SKYWATCHER refractor- model 1025 - fitted with home
    made focal reducer to give an f/2.56 system. Image scale is 6.56 arc
    sec/pixel and field of view 84.8 x 63.2 arc minutes. Shows 15th
    magnitude stars in real time with reasonably good conditions.
    
    Exposure time to nearest second inserted into image FITS header
    from PC clock which is automatically checked every minute against
    GPS signal.
    
    Site 0433 : Longitude 18.51294 deg East, Latitude -33.94058 deg,
    Elevation 10 metres-situated in Pinelands (Cape Town),South Africa
    
    FOR CLASSFD.TLE:
    ---------------------------
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920173528000 16 15 2000365+052707 38  +132 03
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920173710000 16 15 2002196+052708 28  +129 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920173835000 16 15 2003445+052708 18  +128 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920174141000 16 15 2006514+052709 18  +130 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920174324000 16 15 2008346+052708 18  +129 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920174504000 16 15 2010149+052708 18  +127 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920175953000 16 15 2025082+052711 28  +128 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920180932000 16 15 2034478+052714 97  +127 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920181355000 16 15 2039099+052635 38  +102 01
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920181509000 16 15 2040268+052715 28  +125 02
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920182730000 16 15 2052495+052717 28
    35815 09 047A   0433 G 20090920185413000 16 15 2119387+052722 77  +116 02
    35815 09 047A   0433 F 20090920185642000 16 15 2122083+052722 28
    35815 09 047A   0433 F 20090920193112000 16 15 2156453+052728 77
    35815 09 047A   0433 F 20090920194454000 16 15 2210298+052730 28
    35815 09 047A   0433 F 20090920195236000 16 15 2218140+052732 28
    35815 09 047A   0433 P 20090920200044000 16 15 2226237+052733 97  +095 05
    
    Notes:
    ---------
    (1) As reported in the observations made by Ian Roberts there was a
        bright unknown. I suspected it might be the recently launched PAN
        satellite so tried it for radio transmissions on the frequency
        found shortly after PAN had been launched and found the object to
        be transmitting on the same frequency,which confirms- at least for
        me- that this object is in fact PAN.
    
    (2) Using the dish bearings I immediately located the object once the
        sky was dark enough for optical observations. I was hoping to get
        a longer arc but ever increasing thick cirrus eventually wiped me
        out. What did surprise me was how little the satellite moved so it
        would appear to be "on station" with a very low inclination.
    
    Cheers
    Greg 
    
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