North Korean Satellite

[Мастер]

According to the Heavens Above web site, the new North Korean satellite will pass overhead here a number of times over the next ten days. The duration of the visible passage is typically several minutes, but the highest magnitude is 6.5, here in light pollution central.

I don't have much experience (well, really any experience) with astronomical observation. Is there any chance I might be able to see this? What sort of equipment would I need?

Just thinking out loud, and speculating from ignorance: first, I probably won't be able to see it without something (telescope, binoculars, etc.) that magnifies the light. Second, it will be moving, fast.

Naked eye scanning most likely will not work. Scanning with a light-magnifying optical aid will also be difficult. So the thought occurs to me - maybe it is possible to plot out its course in advance, and note the times it will pass nearly easily observable landmarks (skymarks?). Watch at the predicted times through a telescope or some other such instrument, and hope to see it as it passes through the field of view.

Is that the right way to go about this? Is some other way better? Is the whole thing futile?

[Arneb]

Short answer: Forget it.

Medium answer: The method you describe is the only one possible. Under good skies and with sophisticated equipment, an experienced observer would be able to do it, preferably with a photographic approach instead of eyesight spotting. For a beginner, It hink it's too difficult. I have some experience (like, just beyond baby stage), and I wouldn't attempt it.

Long answer: Magnitude 6.5 is at the lower limit of human perception even under perfect, pristine skies. In light pollution central, with bad transparency to boot due to plenty of water vapor, your unaided-eye limiting magnitude is probably around three (25 times brighter), if you're lucky and weather cooperates.

I don't know which limiting magnitude you can reach in Singapore with which equipment, but apart from that, fast movement is the main problem. Typical orbital periods of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are around 90 min, which is 15 s/ degree. So if you achieve a true field of view (fov) of 1° (= only two full moon diameters) through an appropriate combination of telescope focal length, eyepiece focal legth and eyepiece apparent field of view (True FOV = eyepiece apparent FOV / magnification; magnification = Telescope focal length/eyepiece focal length), you have to align the diameter of your fov with the apparent path of the satellite exactly in order to have 15 s in which you can spot a light source which is probably not too far from the limiting magnitude for your sky anyway.

For comparision, try spotting the Pleiades in the February evening sky with your equipment. If you see 9 dots of light, you've reached magnitude 6.4 (Asterope) - see if your equipment can do it from your location. If yes, all you have to do is align your equipment perfectly with the path of the satellite, and spot it within the 15 s (at most) it takes to cross your 1 ° fov. If you misalign by half a degree, an error of 1/720 = .14 %), you're out of business. If the true fov of your equipment is larger, your chances grow proportionally, but you'll probably trade limiting magnitude for field size (since ususally, equipment with a larger aperture is also of greater focal length). For comparison, the Pleiades are a bit smaller than 2°.

So it's not impossible outright, but it's a tall order.

[Мастер]

I wasn't sure, but I figured it was a long shot, given my location, level of experience, and lack of equipment

But, thanks for a thorough reply!