Near Earth Object: What is it?

Someone has now identified this object. Here's his message: "Looks like IDC 85070A, given your site's location and the date/times of observation. 85070A (Raduga) is in a roughly circular, approximately geosynchronous orbit, inclined a little under 10 degrees. Thanks to Project Pluto's Guide for the answer... Name: Raduga, Launched: 1985, IDC: 85070A, Orbit: 35,785 x 35,806 km, inclined 9.7 degrees." - Grant Blair, Moorestown, NJ

The first image was taken just east of 20^h45^m40^s, -15^o18'00". The telescope was moved only eastward for each exposure that followed. North is to the left and east is up on the FITS images. The field of view is 11.2 by 7.47 arcminutes. The 18" telescope has a focal length of 157 inches.

• 011400d.fit 01:14:00 UT, 5 sec
• 011430d.fit 01:14:30 UT, 5 sec
• 011510d.fit 01:15:10 UT, 5 sec
• 011555d.fit 01:15:55 UT, 5 sec
• 011645d.fit 01:16:45 UT, 5 sec
• 011730d.fit 01:17:30 UT, 5 sec
• 011915d.fit 01:19:15 UT, 5 sec
• 012030d.fit 01:20:30 UT, 5 sec
• 012200d.fit 01:22:00 UT, 5 sec
• 012510d.fit 01:25:10 UT, 30 sec

More information can be provided if needed.

Clear skies,
Dan Bruton
astro@sfasu.edu
MPC Code 740
Minor Planet Research at SFA