http://www.cloudynights.com/ub…-H2A_20081011_203405t.jpg
2008/10/11_Japanese H2A rocket observation
This is not my first observation of a Japanese H2A rocket,some of you may
remember my attempts and images earlier this year.The problem with most
rocket bodies is that the larger,longer pieces are mostly in higher orbits and
those in lower orbits are often very small showing just very small disks.
There are a few rockets of the H2A class with dimensions of 13.5x2.5 meter
in considerably lower orbits.This must make it possible to recognise at
least some elongated shape.In practice worked out to be a very difficult
observation.On October 11,there was a favourable pass of the IGS-1 H2A
2024 rocket,carrier of the IGS-Optical 1 and IGS-Rader 1 satellites.(82°pass)
at an altitude of 478.7km overhead.I searched as always for frames with clear
elongation in the not-move direction.As seeing was not very favourable it
must match with a catch and a good seeing as I track manually.This is an
extra difficulty but succeeded again.At all the 4 frames of the catch-moment
there was clearl a brighter elongated lob and a darker lob.If you see a
launch image of this 2-stage rocket you see that there are indeed very dark parts
in the upper stage which can cause easily such a brightness difference:
http://eyeball-series.org/satspy/pict119.jpg
(Equipment:10inch newtonian/ATK-2C/manually tracked)
Ralf Vandebergh
