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:

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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:
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.
 
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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.

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By Simone Corbellini