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[Al Degutis]

While observing meteors over the weekend, I set up the Digital SLR piggybacked on the LX200, set up an auto-shoot sequence with DSLRFocus and hoped to capture some meteors. While looking through the first batch of 200+ images, I found two images with three streaks of light together. They are parallel but all three have different start and stop points. I don't think it's a plane but wonder if maybe it was a group of three satellites. You can see them in these pictures moving from the bottom right corner of the images towards M31.

Click on the thumbnail to see a medium-size image and then click on it to see a larger image:
www.skyinsight.net/forum/modules.php?set_albumName=need-to-id&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

Grady, can you check your resources to see if you can identify them?

Thanks

[Rocketman]

AWESOME!

I would be more than happy to give it a shot, Al. I need the following.

Your lat/long (I think you posted this earlier...)
The date, and time.

Obviously M31 being in the middle of the photograph certainly shows where you were pointed.

Looks to me that you are pointing at about 45 degrees?

What caused the "scratches"? I've seen photos before that illustrated an objects track like the two suspecting photos from your batch, but I forget what that's called? Exposure or something?

I know nothing about astrophotography

*Awaiting your reply*

[Rocketman]

Initially I couldn't see what you were talking about, my monitor is sucky!!! I used Photoshop to brighten the images, and I see it


PS: There is a space in the URL to the pics.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I think that is a cool shot of the triplets. Close formation and equidistant.

I anticipate Grady's determination of the sats.

[Al Degutis]

rocketman2 said:

Your lat/long (I think you posted this earlier...)
The date, and time.

Obviously M31 being in the middle of the photograph certainly shows where you were pointed.

Looks to me that you are pointing at about 45 degrees?

Lat 42° 22' N
Long 88° 29' W

Date of pictures 2005-08-07
Time: #1 3:14am #2 3:15 CDT

Yes, I was photographing about at about 50 degrees.

What caused the "scratches"? I've seen photos before that illustrated an objects track like the two suspecting photos from your batch, but I forget what that's called? Exposure or something?

Sorry, I don't follow your question.

Also, I can provide full sized images if you need. I didn't post the full size/resolution images because they're 3.5 MB in size each.

Hope this helps and thanks!

[Al Degutis]

rocketman2 said:

Initially I couldn't see what you were talking about, my monitor is sucky!!! I used Photoshop to brighten the images, and I see it

I resized them to 1024x768 resolution to make the upload and viewing of them faster for those without a broadband Internet connection. I'll post the full size image later today. They are still kinda faint but a little easier to see in the full size image.

Thanks

[Rocketman]

Sorry, I don't follow your question.

It's not a big deal, but I was refering to the three streaks of light. Normally they would appear as three dots in a single snapshot, so you had a timed exposure set up or whatever it's called

I'll run a simulation after I wake up... I haven't been to bed yet... I'm wore out...

[Al Degutis]

rocketman2 said:

It's not a big deal, but I was refering to the three streaks of light. Normally they would appear as three dots in a single snapshot, so you had a timed exposure set up or whatever it's called wore out...

Ahhh, now I get it. Yes, each picture is a 30 second exposure (i.e. camera shutter was open for 30 seconds to capture as much light as possible). So the satellites will appear a streaks and not dots.

Sleep? What's that? I've been getting up at 3am each clear morning obsering the Perseids... and I was out onserving 6 hours on Saturday morning and out at 1am after getting home from a concert on Sunday morning. Talk about being pooped.

[Rocketman]

Hey Al,

My analysis of your observation is as follows :-) ;D

I have simulated it, and it all matches, except the degrees in elevation.

M31 at the time you specified, from your location, is not at 50°. I assumed the pictures were about 45°, and you confirmed that it was about 50°. About 50°? Are you sure? I looked with Starry Night v3.12, and M31 is at 75° East at 3:14 am at your location, and the NOSS 2-3 triplet is right there.

I'm trying to visualize the pass from your pictures, but I'm having difficulty. Perhaps it's because I'm unfamiliar with your type of scope, camera or the setup of the two.


For your records:

Without a doubt you photographed a classified group of satellites known as the following:

NOSS 2-3 (C) Leading
NOSS 2-3 (D) Middle
NOSS 2-3 (E) Trailing

As Joe pointed out they are equidistant, this is a commonality of NOSS formations. I would like to talk more about the viewing angle or perspective, as I'm a bit turned inside out, upside down for some reason by looking at your pictures. I've had access to NOSS TLE data for awhile now, and only just until recently did I view my first triplet.

From my satellite observation log:
August 04, 2005

//

Notes: My very first NOSS triplet.

1545 - 3:34 AM - NOSS 2-3 C
1546 - 3:34 AM - NOSS 2-3 D
1547 - 3:34 AM - NOSS 2-3 E - Notes: I had to use my 12 x 50 binoculars. It appeared dim in the 12 x 50's. Seemed to brightened, and dim.

I believe this was the one I saw several weeks prior, but I was unable to see, the usually dimmer, trailing, 2-3 (E), I did not have the 12 X 50's at that time.

I'm pleased that you have inquired upon me for help. I hope that in the future, more people will look for satellites. They do have a purpose, and a more unique vantage point that we. Mankind's works orbit us everyday, but only few people every stop for a moment to give them credit, after all, they are where I would love to be

A lot of the information that we rely on comes eclusively from satellites.

I can't call myself a real astronomer, but I'm a real sathingycher. I pride myself in following them daily, and I encourage all of you to take note next time you see one.

I encourage all to participate

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

I think it's rather cool to have a personal relationship with a person who can guide us in identifying objects we see during our observations.

Thanks Grady, you too cool!... ;D

I would like to talk more about the viewing angle, as I'm a bit turned inside out, upside down for some reason

That's often the case after a few gin martini's with me...

[Al Degutis]

rocketman2 said:

I would like to talk more about the viewing angle or perspective, as I'm a bit turned inside out, upside down for some reason by looking at your pictures.

I'm not surprised that the angle is throwing you off. The camera is piggybacked on a telescope that is on a fork mount and polar aligned. I gather you don't have a stong background with telescopes, so this may be gibberish to you. I'll post a picture of it later. For now, an attempt at an explanation. The camera is mounted on top of the telescope when the scope is facing south at 90 degrees to the North pole. When I slew the telescope to the east it starts to turn towards it's side so the camera is now on the side. Yes, you are correct about the angle. It had to be about 75 degrees because that raised the front of the scope upwards making the camera sit a little backwards. Think of a hat on your head and when you lean your neck back to look straight up, the top of the hat is pointing near the horizon. That would be the top of the camera.

Again, a picture would illustrate it better.

The top of the image is north and the left side is east... unless I'm spun around now... I'm feeling dizzy... I'm gonna site down now...

And thanks for the help identifying them!!!

[Rocketman]

No problem Al. Interesting setup you have.

You should be able to photograph Milstar 6.

[Rocketman]

Animation details:

Start time: 3:05 AM CDT
End time: 3:25 AM CDT
Latitude: 49.3667° N
Longitude: 88.483° W
Comments: Al's observation deck.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Grady always amazes me in his sat research and graphical representaions of a sighting.

Quite cool... ;D

Can you find "Red October" on that?

[Rocketman]

Almost ;D