Observation by Nigel Evans: Space Junk

Uploaded by

Nigel Evans

Observer

Nigel Evans

Observed

2026 May 12 - 22:25

Uploaded

2026 May 15 - 17:09

Objects

Spacecraft

Equipment

200mm EdgeHD +ASI6200

Exposure

38 x 10 seconds

Location

Ipswich

Target name

2025-010D

Title

Space Junk

About this image

A 10 second exposure has a limiting of about 17.0 – in the majority of frames the rocket was completely invisible – and I had over 700 of them! By stepping through them 1 at a time I could see a flare every 18 or 19 frames. The average was 18.21, corresponding to a period of about 3.45 minutes. To show the variability more clearly I decided to stack the frames, but grouped them by ‘phase’ relative to the flash frame. This gave me 18 groups of 38 frames . Each group can then be added, either to show the rocket stage or the stars. Together the magnitude of the rocket can be estimated.

Peak magnitude is about 15.3, but this rapidly drops to 17 and below, the faintest being 17.9! So it was not surprising I could not see it!

Files associated with this observation

2025_010D NSE.gif (6.4 MB)

Like this image

Martin Mobberley, Grant Privett

Comments

Grant Privett, 2026 May 15 - 20:13 UTC

Nice work. Can I assume you wrote the image stacking and animation software yourself? Must have been a fair bit of effort.

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