Visual
SAT-Flare Tracker 3D
OBSERVATIONS - WINDOW
This window allows the user to manage the generation of IOD reports. The window, which is shown in Fig.1, is composed of a main list, of a series of general observation options, and of a few buttons:
- Observation List: reports, in the left side of the window, all the already defined points (IOD formatted observations).
- General Observation Parameters: this
frame contains the elements necessary to define the sky conditions
and the satellite data. When the reports are related to the working
satellite, it is possible to automatically import its ID data by
checking the Take from Selected Satellite box.
- Buttons: the window contains the following buttons:
- Apply: make the data contained into the Object info frame active.
- Clear All: clear all the IOD entries of the IOD list.
- Export: export into a text based window all the IOD entries.
- Enable/Disable Sky Pointer:
enable/disable the sky-pointer of the main graphical work window. See
the next section to learn how to use it to generate the observations.

Fig. 1
How to generate IOD reports
IOD reports can be graphically generated simply by defining both the area of
the sky where the satellite has been observed and the time of the
observation. Both the coordinate uncertainty and the time uncertainty
can be defined graphically. To generate the reports, the main Working Window has
to be set to display the sky by means of either a 3D
representation or the sky-map representation. After the sky is
visible, the
sky-pointer has to be enabled by means of the Enable/Disable Sky Pointer
button of the Observation Window (the sky pointer can be also
enabled/disabled by double clicking on the Work Window with the ALT key
pressed).After enabling the sky-pointer, an orange circle around the mouse position
and a box in the left upper corner of the window will appear. The size
of the circle will indicate the coordinate uncertainty of the
observations, while the time uncertainty along with other values of the report will be numerically shown in the white box.
After the sky-pointer is visible, the coordinate uncertainty and the time uncertainty have to be set:
- to
change the coordinate uncertainty the mouse shall be moved up and down
with both the left button and the CTRL key pressed.
- to change the time uncertainty the mouse shall be moved up and down with both the left button and the ALT key pressed.
When both the parameters have been set, the report can be generated simply by double clicking, with the CTRL key pressed, on the correct sky point. Each generated point will be marked by means of a red circle and automatically reported into the Observations Window. As an example, Fig. 2 shows the sky map with three marked points along the ISS orbit.

Fig. 2
When all points have been defined, the report containing all the data can be exported by clicking on the Export button of the Observations window. The report can then be used by external programs to compute the orbital elements of the observed satellite.
BACK
By
Simone Corbellini
