[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] - [Date Index][Thread Index][Author Index]
Sunlight and Eclipse Periods
- Subject: [amsat-bb] Sunlight and Eclipse Periods
- From: John Magliacane <magliaco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 12 Mar 2000 20:05:20 -0500 (EST)
Hi Folks.
I added a new feature to my PREDICT software this weekend to enable
the program to predict solar illumination percentages for satellites.
Although I have nothing with which to compare my results, they seem
reasonable, and in some cases, are quite interesting.
For example, the RS-12/13 satellite is currently experiencing full
sunlight (no eclipses) 24 hours a day, and will continue to do so
until 26-Mar-2000 when eclipses will begin once again:
KD2BD's Solar Illumination Calendar For RS-12/13
Date Mins/Day Sun% Date Mins/Day Sun%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mon 13Mar00 1440 100.00% Fri 31Mar00 1138 79.03%
Tue 14Mar00 1440 100.00% Sat 01Apr00 1118 77.64%
Wed 15Mar00 1440 100.00% Sun 02Apr00 1123 77.99%
Thu 16Mar00 1440 100.00% Mon 03Apr00 1084 75.28%
Fri 17Mar00 1440 100.00% Tue 04Apr00 1069 74.24%
Sat 18Mar00 1440 100.00% Wed 05Apr00 1062 73.75%
Sun 19Mar00 1440 100.00% Thu 06Apr00 1069 74.24%
Mon 20Mar00 1440 100.00% Fri 07Apr00 1035 71.88%
Tue 21Mar00 1440 100.00% Sat 08Apr00 1027 71.32%
Wed 22Mar00 1440 100.00% Sun 09Apr00 1032 71.67%
Thu 23Mar00 1440 100.00% Mon 10Apr00 1027 71.32%
Fri 24Mar00 1440 100.00% Tue 11Apr00 1003 69.65%
Sat 25Mar00 1440 100.00% Wed 12Apr00 998 69.31%
Sun 26Mar00 1380 95.83% Thu 13Apr00 1015 70.49%
Mon 27Mar00 1282 89.03% Fri 14Apr00 998 69.31%
Tue 28Mar00 1228 85.28% Sat 15Apr00 982 68.19%
Wed 29Mar00 1207 83.82% Sun 16Apr00 979 67.99%
Thu 30Mar00 1165 80.90% Mon 17Apr00 1004 69.72%
RS-15 is expected to do the same starting 31-Mar-2000:
KD2BD's Solar Illumination Calendar For RS-15
Date Mins/Day Sun% Date Mins/Day Sun%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Mon 13Mar00 1071 74.38% Fri 31Mar00 1440 100.00%
Tue 14Mar00 1063 73.82% Sat 01Apr00 1440 100.00%
Wed 15Mar00 1067 74.10% Sun 02Apr00 1440 100.00%
Thu 16Mar00 1090 75.69% Mon 03Apr00 1440 100.00%
Fri 17Mar00 1099 76.32% Tue 04Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sat 18Mar00 1083 75.21% Wed 05Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sun 19Mar00 1113 77.29% Thu 06Apr00 1440 100.00%
Mon 20Mar00 1130 78.47% Fri 07Apr00 1440 100.00%
Tue 21Mar00 1141 79.24% Sat 08Apr00 1440 100.00%
Wed 22Mar00 1130 78.47% Sun 09Apr00 1440 100.00%
Thu 23Mar00 1174 81.53% Mon 10Apr00 1440 100.00%
Fri 24Mar00 1189 82.57% Tue 11Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sat 25Mar00 1206 83.75% Wed 12Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sun 26Mar00 1218 84.58% Thu 13Apr00 1440 100.00%
Mon 27Mar00 1260 87.50% Fri 14Apr00 1440 100.00%
Tue 28Mar00 1292 89.72% Sat 15Apr00 1440 100.00%
Wed 29Mar00 1330 92.36% Sun 16Apr00 1440 100.00%
Thu 30Mar00 1419 98.54% Mon 17Apr00 1398 97.08%
and KO-23 will be baking (and will probably be unusable as a result of
the heat) starting in mid-April (battery problems not withstanding):
KD2BD's Solar Illumination Calendar For OSCAR-23
Date Mins/Day Sun% Date Mins/Day Sun%
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Sat 01Apr00 1011 70.21% Wed 19Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sun 02Apr00 1016 70.56% Thu 20Apr00 1440 100.00%
Mon 03Apr00 1030 71.53% Fri 21Apr00 1440 100.00%
Tue 04Apr00 1048 72.78% Sat 22Apr00 1440 100.00%
Wed 05Apr00 1050 72.92% Sun 23Apr00 1440 100.00%
Thu 06Apr00 1063 73.82% Mon 24Apr00 1440 100.00%
Fri 07Apr00 1074 74.58% Tue 25Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sat 08Apr00 1097 76.18% Wed 26Apr00 1440 100.00%
Sun 09Apr00 1118 77.64% Thu 27Apr00 1440 100.00%
Mon 10Apr00 1150 79.86% Fri 28Apr00 1440 100.00%
Tue 11Apr00 1200 83.33% Sat 29Apr00 1440 100.00%
Wed 12Apr00 1241 86.18% Sun 30Apr00 1440 100.00%
Thu 13Apr00 1326 92.08% Mon 01May00 1440 100.00%
Fri 14Apr00 1440 100.00% Tue 02May00 1440 100.00%
Sat 15Apr00 1440 100.00% Wed 03May00 1440 100.00%
Sun 16Apr00 1440 100.00% Thu 04May00 1440 100.00%
Mon 17Apr00 1440 100.00% Fri 05May00 1440 100.00%
Tue 18Apr00 1440 100.00% Sat 06May00 1379 95.76%
If my calculations are correct, SUNSAT will be living up to its name
and be in continuous sunlight between 12-Jun-2000 and 04-Nov-2000!
Ouch! :-)
I also discovered that most of the LEO satellites in the OSCAR fleet
on average spend about 67% of each solar day (24 hours) in sunlight.
Pretty neat! :-)
73, de John, KD2BD
--
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- John A. Magliacane, KD2BD -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Internet : kd2bd@amsat.org | Voice : +1.732.224.2948
Satellite : AO-16, KO-25 | Morse : -.- -.. ..--- -... -..
Packet : KD2BD @ N2TDU.NJ.USA.NA | WWW : http://www.njin.net/~magliaco/
Video : 426.250 MHz/439.250 MHz | FAX : +1.732.224.2060
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Linux Doesn't Cost. It Pays. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
----
Via the amsat-bb mailing list at AMSAT.ORG courtesy of AMSAT-NA.
To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe amsat-bb" to Majordomo@amsat.org
AMSAT Home