Satellite Observation Data Format

To enable systematic compilation and curation of observations from various sources, the IAU CPS SatHub requires submissions to adhere to the following format.

The required file type for submission is a Comma Separated Value (CSV) text file containing a set of required columns named and described below. Any or all optional fields may be populated, but all columns must be included. A sample file that meets all formatting requirements may be downloaded below. It contains various types of valid observations with both required and optional fields. Other observation formats are not currently supported.

Please note that by sharing observations with the IAU CPS SatHub, you agree to follow the IAU CPS Member Collaboration Agreement. This entails that observations you submit can be published, or made otherwise available by third parties as long as you are credited and your data is properly attributed - data will be shared under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Important:
  • Please refer to the sample file for the correct column ordering - the information here is for reference only.
  • Optional fields should be left blank if not applicable. Please avoid using "n/a", none, 0, or other similar values.
  • All columns must be used in the file uploaded for submission, just left blank if there is no data. The example file contains sample observations with both required and optional fields.
  • For non-detections, leave the absolute magnitude and magnitude uncertainty fields blank, and add a comment with "non-detection" or similar to the comments field.

Data columns

* denotes required field

Name Description Type Example
satellite_name Name of satellite; corresponds to https://www.space-track.org/#catalog SATNAME string METEOR 1-17 DEB
norad_cat_id* NORAD catalog identifier; corresponds to https://www.space-track.org/#catalog NORAD CAT ID integer 57957
observation_time_utc* Mid exposure time of observation in coordinated universal time (UTC), ISO 8601 format string 2023-09-26T23:59:59.123Z
observation_time_uncertainty_sec* Uncertainty in the observation time in seconds float .02
apparent_magnitude* Brightness of the satellite as observed/measured in magnitudes; for a non-detection, leave this field blank, but the limiting magnitude must still be provided float 7.53
apparent_magnitude_uncertainty* Uncertainty in the brightness of the satellite in magnitude; for a non-detection, leave this field blank float 0.14
observer_latitude_deg* Latitude of the observing location (GPS/WGS84/EPSG Coordinate Reference System Code 4326) in decimal degrees (DD) between -90 and 90 float -30.2447392
observer_longitude_deg* Longitude of the observing location (GPS/WGS84/EPSG Coordinate Reference System Code 4326) in decimal degrees (DD) between -180 and 180 float -70.7477219
observer_altitude_m* Altitude of the observing location above sea level (GPS/WGS84/EPSG Coordinate Reference System Code 4326) in meters float 2663
limiting_magnitude* Faintest magnitude that can be observed by the given instrument (or naked eye in the case of visual observations) float 6.5
instrument* Name or other identifying information about the telescope, instrument, and/or other hardware that was used for the observation string DECam on the Blanco 4m
observing_mode* Observation hardware / detector: must be one of "VISUAL", "BINOCULARS", "CCD", "CMOS", or "OTHER" if not listed string CCD
observing_filter* Filter/Bandpass used in observation; use "CLEAR" if observing_mode is visual. string SDSS g
observer_email* Valid email address for the observer or point of contact string example@observer.com
observer_orcid* List of ORCIDs for all people who should be credited for the observation; at least one is required. Getting an ORCID is free and easy at orcid.org. string 0000-0002-1825-0097
satellite_right_ascension_deg Right Ascension of satellites in deg at midpoint of the observation, measured from the observation with respect to Gaia DR3 astrometric catalog stars (ICRF), between 0 and 360 float 359.12345678
satellite_declination_deg Declination of satellites in deg at midpoint of the observation, measured from the observation with respect to Gaia DR3 astrometric catalog stars (ICRF), between -90 and 90 float -40.12345678
sigma_2_ra Variance (σ²) of Right Ascension (arcsec²) float 0.01
sigma_ra_sigma_dec Covariance of RA and Dec (arcsec²) float 0.01
sigma_2_dec Variance (σ²) of Declination (arcsec²) float 0.01
range_to_satellite_km Measured (observed) distance between observer and satellite at time of observation in kilometers float 560.12345678
range_to_satellite_uncertainty_km Uncertainty of the above value float 0.01
range_rate_of_satellite_km_per_sec Measured (observed) change in distance between observer and satellite at time of observation in kilometers per second float 3.12345678
range_rate_of_satellite_uncertainty_km_per_sec Uncertainty of the above value float 0.01
comments Any comments that would help identify potential issues with the measurement string "few background stars to compare"
data_archive_link Link to data archive containing the original data string https://archive.org/details/2023-09-26T23:59:59.123Z
mpc_code Minor Planet Center observatory code string I11