Satellite Identification Needed

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

We have the following unidentified satellite observation to report (on two CCD
images using a 24-inch telescope):

Location: Erwin W. Fick Observatory
42 00 20.3 N, 93 56 38.3 W, 333 m

Position:
RA(2000) = 01 23 43
DEC(2000) = -05 05 46

Time:
11/19/03, 3:47:40 UT (+/- 10 seconds)

We estimate the angular speed of the unidentified object as approximately 20
arseconds per second of time.

Any help in identifying this object would be most appreciated!

David Oesper
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011

E-mail:

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

http://www.heavens-above.com

would be your best starting point, however, it will display satellite
predictions of Mag 4.5 or brighter only.

A better bet would be to download software, like SatHunt (there are many others)

http://stephen.fathom.org/sathunt.html


--
Larry Brash

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

http://www.heavens-above.com

would be your best starting point, however, it will display satellite
predictions of Mag 4.5 or brighter only.

A better bet would be to download software, like SatHunt (there are many others)

http://stephen.fathom.org/sathunt.html


--
Larry Brash

Larry Brash wrote:

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

http://www.heavens-above.com

would be your best starting point, however, it will display satellite
predictions of Mag 4.5 or brighter only.

H-A will give nightly predictions down to 5.0; if you look at the
information
in the URL line atop the page, you'll see that part of it reads Mag=4.5
If you change the 4.5 to 5.0, it will give you satellites down to that
calculated magnitude.

H-A's "Select a satellite" function will give you much dimmer
magnitudes,
but you need to enter the name of a satellite first. Not much help
when you're trying to put a name on an unidentified satellite, alas.

--Bill Thompson

Larry Brash wrote:

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

http://www.heavens-above.com

would be your best starting point, however, it will display satellite
predictions of Mag 4.5 or brighter only.

H-A will give nightly predictions down to 5.0; if you look at the
information
in the URL line atop the page, you'll see that part of it reads Mag=4.5
If you change the 4.5 to 5.0, it will give you satellites down to that
calculated magnitude.

H-A's "Select a satellite" function will give you much dimmer
magnitudes,
but you need to enter the name of a satellite first. Not much help
when you're trying to put a name on an unidentified satellite, alas.

--Bill Thompson

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

We estimate the angular speed of the unidentified object as approximately 20
arseconds per second of time.

It sounds like it's in a fairly high orbit, but not high enough to be in
a
geosynchronous orbit. It might be a GPS or Glonass navigational
satellite.

Any help in identifying this object would be most appreciated!

Larry Brash has already mentioned heavens-above.com

You could also try http://www.donbarry.org, which gives predictions for
satellites down to magnitude 6.0

DaveOesper wrote:

Given an accurate location, position, and time (as seen through a telescope),
is there a web site that will identify the satellite?

We estimate the angular speed of the unidentified object as approximately 20
arseconds per second of time.

It sounds like it's in a fairly high orbit, but not high enough to be in
a
geosynchronous orbit. It might be a GPS or Glonass navigational
satellite.

Any help in identifying this object would be most appreciated!

Larry Brash has already mentioned heavens-above.com

You could also try http://www.donbarry.org, which gives predictions for
satellites down to magnitude 6.0

I could give you an identification but then Larry would berate
me for giving you a fish instead of a trawler.

I could give you an identification but then Larry would berate
me for giving you a fish instead of a trawler.

"stella info" wrote in message
m...
I could give you an identification but then Larry would berate
me for giving you a fish instead of a trawler.

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day.
Teach a man to fish and he will take out a second mortgage to buy a $20,000
bass boat and begin calling in "sick" for work.
--
Stephen
Home Page: stephmon.com
Satellite Hunting: sathunt.com