Anyone help ID an object?

I was taking pictures on dec 24th, and 5 of my images of m42 had a very slow moving object in them. Can anyone help ID what it may have been? The object was moving from right to left in the images.
Time: 10:00pm EST
Location : 43.608588, -71.276460
Exposure time : 114.6s

Any ideas? need more info? more exposures?

Thanks for any help;
Keith Garrett
Tuftonboro NH

Attached Image:

That is most likely a geosynchronus satellite drifting through the field. They are quite common in that part of the sky. Here is another example of satellites in the Clarke Belt. Some are quite faint but there are around 20 trails in this image.

John

Attached Image:

Keith

You could try looking up the satellite on Heavens-Above.com. Just insert your location, date, and time and see what was in that area. You could also send an email to T.S. Kelso who runs CelesTrak and ask him.

Bill

Keith Garrett said:


I was taking pictures on dec 24th, and 5 of my images of m42 had a very slow moving object in them. Can anyone help ID what it may have been? The object was moving from right to left in the images.
Time: 10:00pm EST
Location : 43.608588, -71.276460
Exposure time : 114.6s

Any ideas? need more info? more exposures?

Thanks for any help;
Keith Garrett
Tuftonboro NH

This area is passed through by satellites frequently. If you need to know "which one" try heavens-above.com

This is something I've always been fascinated with, movement of stars, planets, asteroids. I don't have a blink comparator, nor a computer with enough ram to blink between images quickly enough, so I do this all by simple glances from one "print to another and compare for differences.

Two(?) years ago I attended a lecture where the Rochester Institute of Technology (head or only) astronomer talked about his time doing exactly this using the Subaru telescope (California?). Had I known he was going to do this I would have begged to go with him!