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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
Hello all!
I just happened across this Newsgroup while surfing around for satellite observing sites. I am a relative beginner at this, though I've been involved with amateur astronomy and especially variable star observing since my teens (38 years old now). It looks like this is a typical newsgroup, a lot of spam but I see that some serious observations are posted. I'll post anything that I see if anyone is interested. What I have been doing off and on for the last few years is going to the Heavens Above Website to see which "space birds" are passing overhead, and then getting out and observing them. I've seen the Mir Space Station (when it was in orbit a few years ago), the ISS, and some old rockets and brighter objects. I would especially love to catch some relatively new rockets and time their rate of tumble, and see how this changes over time when I observe them again. I often see artificial satellites while out observing, and it's a mystery to me how others can identify them! If it's 4.5 magnitude or brighter, it's a fairly simple matter to go to Heavens Above and look for a good match. However, most of the ones I just happen to see are fainter than this, and I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who posts to this board could give me any advice on how to find out which object I've observed (or at least narrow it down!). Any correspondence through email or through this newsgroup with other satellite and amateur astronomy enthusiasts would be welcome. Thanks, and clear skies to you all. Paul Z |
#2
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
(PZeller66) wrote in
: Hello all! I just happened across this Newsgroup while surfing around for satellite observing sites. I am a relative beginner at this, though I've been involved with amateur astronomy and especially variable star observing since my teens (38 years old now). It looks like this is a typical newsgroup, a lot of spam but I see that some serious observations are posted. I'll post anything that I see if anyone is interested. Snipola Subscribe to SeeSat-L... http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html 99.9% spam free and always on topic. Brian -- http://home.earthlink.net/~skywise71...ics/laser.html "Great heavens! That's a laser!" "Yes, Dr. Scott. A laser capable of emitting a beam of pure antimatter." Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? |
#3
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
(PZeller66) wrote in
: Hello all! I just happened across this Newsgroup while surfing around for satellite observing sites. I am a relative beginner at this, though I've been involved with amateur astronomy and especially variable star observing since my teens (38 years old now). It looks like this is a typical newsgroup, a lot of spam but I see that some serious observations are posted. I'll post anything that I see if anyone is interested. Snipola Subscribe to SeeSat-L... http://www.satobs.org/seesat/seesatindex.html 99.9% spam free and always on topic. Brian -- http://home.earthlink.net/~skywise71...ics/laser.html "Great heavens! That's a laser!" "Yes, Dr. Scott. A laser capable of emitting a beam of pure antimatter." Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? |
#4
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
Thanks for the link. Brian. I subscribed. The description of the place gives
me the idea that those who post to that list are mostly advanced satellite observers. Is there a place for amateurs and beginners to share information too, or is this the place for that? Just curious. |
#5
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
Thanks for the link. Brian. I subscribed. The description of the place gives
me the idea that those who post to that list are mostly advanced satellite observers. Is there a place for amateurs and beginners to share information too, or is this the place for that? Just curious. |
#6
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
(PZeller66) wrote in
: Thanks for the link. Brian. I subscribed. The description of the place gives me the idea that those who post to that list are mostly advanced satellite observers. Is there a place for amateurs and beginners to share information too, or is this the place for that? Just curious. Just sit back and listen for a while and let things soak in. After a while you'll get a feel for how things work in the group. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Nearly everything I've learned about satellite watching came from SeeSat. Brian -- http://home.earthlink.net/~skywise71...ics/laser.html "Great heavens! That's a laser!" "Yes, Dr. Scott. A laser capable of emitting a beam of pure antimatter." Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? |
#7
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
(PZeller66) wrote in
: Thanks for the link. Brian. I subscribed. The description of the place gives me the idea that those who post to that list are mostly advanced satellite observers. Is there a place for amateurs and beginners to share information too, or is this the place for that? Just curious. Just sit back and listen for a while and let things soak in. After a while you'll get a feel for how things work in the group. And don't be afraid to ask questions. Nearly everything I've learned about satellite watching came from SeeSat. Brian -- http://home.earthlink.net/~skywise71...ics/laser.html "Great heavens! That's a laser!" "Yes, Dr. Scott. A laser capable of emitting a beam of pure antimatter." Sed quis custodiet ipsos Custodes? |
#8
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
I would especially love to catch some relatively new rockets and
time their rate of tumble, and see how this changes over time when I observe them again. You're not alone in that! On the Visual Satellite Observers Home Page, check the articles about flashing and tumbling satellites (near the top of the table of contents): http://www.satobs.org/ Then near the very end of the table of contents, check out the BWGS. I often see artificial satellites while out observing, and it's a mystery to me how others can identify them! If it's 4.5 magnitude or brighter, it's a fairly simple matter to go to Heavens Above and look for a good match. However, most of the ones I just happen to see are fainter than this, and I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who posts to this board could give me any advice on how to find out which object I've observed (or at least narrow it down!). Check out Ted Molczan's ObsReduce: http://www.satobs.org/programs/ObsReduce/ObsReduce.html Also, smaller freeware DOS programs (I use Findsat.) are IDSat and Findsat, which are linked to from this web page: http://users2.ev1.net/~mmccants/programs/index.html SkyMap (by Rob Matson, not the other SkyMap, which I think is a commercial planetarium program) is very highly regarded for predictions and trying to ID objects after the fact. It and many other programs are listed on this VSOHP page: http://www.satobs.org/orbsoft.html SkyMap and Iridflar, also by Rob Matson, can help ID accidental Iridium flare sightings. I need to update it some, but here's my "starting points" page, which is a small collection of links that I believe are good -- starting points: http://wnt.cc.utexas.edu/~ecannon/starting.htm I got started in observing satellites in earnest in March 1996. Ed Cannon - - Austin, Texas, USA (Remove "donotspam".) |
#9
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Relative Beginner at Satellite Observing
I would especially love to catch some relatively new rockets and
time their rate of tumble, and see how this changes over time when I observe them again. You're not alone in that! On the Visual Satellite Observers Home Page, check the articles about flashing and tumbling satellites (near the top of the table of contents): http://www.satobs.org/ Then near the very end of the table of contents, check out the BWGS. I often see artificial satellites while out observing, and it's a mystery to me how others can identify them! If it's 4.5 magnitude or brighter, it's a fairly simple matter to go to Heavens Above and look for a good match. However, most of the ones I just happen to see are fainter than this, and I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who posts to this board could give me any advice on how to find out which object I've observed (or at least narrow it down!). Check out Ted Molczan's ObsReduce: http://www.satobs.org/programs/ObsReduce/ObsReduce.html Also, smaller freeware DOS programs (I use Findsat.) are IDSat and Findsat, which are linked to from this web page: http://users2.ev1.net/~mmccants/programs/index.html SkyMap (by Rob Matson, not the other SkyMap, which I think is a commercial planetarium program) is very highly regarded for predictions and trying to ID objects after the fact. It and many other programs are listed on this VSOHP page: http://www.satobs.org/orbsoft.html SkyMap and Iridflar, also by Rob Matson, can help ID accidental Iridium flare sightings. I need to update it some, but here's my "starting points" page, which is a small collection of links that I believe are good -- starting points: http://wnt.cc.utexas.edu/~ecannon/starting.htm I got started in observing satellites in earnest in March 1996. Ed Cannon - - Austin, Texas, USA (Remove "donotspam".) |
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