Satellite watching
Satellite watching or satellite spotting is a hobby that involves observing and tracking man-made terrestrial satellites . People with this hobby are often called satellite watchers , trackers , spotters or observers .
The satellite observation by amateurs was prepared even before the launch of the first earth satellites - in the USA and Europe as well as in the USSR . The main purpose was the discovery and also the orbit of the satellites. The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory launched Operation Moonwatch in 1956 , a program for amateur astronomers and technicians with the purpose of tracking the Soviet Sputnik satellites and the planned US satellites.
In the Soviet Union and the GDR , teams of high school students were also trained in observation technology.
The Moonwatch organization was based on the Ground Observer Corps program, which was used to detect enemy bombers during the Second World War . Professional stations were sometimes set up for Moonwatch or measuring instruments such as the Apogee telescope were provided for good observers . The program was discontinued in 1975.
There are many computer programs for orbital calculations and planetariums that support satellite watching. An approximate graphical evaluation of the observations is also possible, for example with so-called satellite sliders or on a good globe .
See also
Web links
- Archive of SeeSat-L mailing list (English)
- Link catalog on the subject of satellite watching at curlie.org (formerly DMOZ ) (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b "Satellite Watching" at Hobbyspace.com
- ^ Nelson Hayes: Trackers of the Skies . Howard Doyle Publ. Comp., USA 1968 and 1975
- ^ Kurt Arnold : Methods of Satellite Geodesy . Chapter 5 observation methods , Akademie-Verlag Berlin 1970
- ↑ Kenneth Auchincloss: Smithsonian Astronomers Keep Hectic Pace. The Harvard Crimson, November 9, 1957, accessed November 15, 2013 .