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The orbital period (also revolution period) is the amount of time a given astronomical object takes to complete one orbit around another object. In astronomy , it usually applies to planets or asteroids orbiting the Sun , moons orbiting planets, exoplanets orbiting other stars , or binary stars .
Semi-synchronous orbit: An orbit with an orbital period equal to half of the average rotational period of the body being orbited and in the same direction of rotation as that body. For Earth this means a period of just under 12 hours at an altitude of approximately 20,200 km (12,544.2 miles) if the orbit is circular. [16]
To-scale diagram of distance between planets, with the white bar showing orbital variations. The size of the planets is not to scale. The radius of the Sun is 0.0047 AU (700,000 km; 400,000 mi). [ 58 ]
Clickable image, highlighting medium altitude orbits around Earth, [a] from Low Earth to the lowest High Earth orbit (geostationary orbit and its graveyard orbit, at one ninth of the Moon's orbital distance), [b] with the Van Allen radiation belts and the Earth to scale To-scale diagram of low, medium, and high Earth orbits Space of Medium Earth orbits (MEO) as pink area, with Earth and the ...
With a mean orbital speed around the barycentre of 1.022 km/s (2,290 mph), the Moon covers a distance of approximately its diameter, or about half a degree on the celestial sphere, each hour. [ 6 ] The Moon differs from most regular satellites of other planets in that its orbital plane is closer to the ecliptic plane instead of its primary 's ...
[nb 1] Earth's orbital speed averages 29.78 km/s (19 mi/s; 107,208 km/h; 66,616 mph), which is fast enough to cover the planet's diameter in 7 minutes and the distance to the Moon in 4 hours. [3] The point towards which the Earth in its solar orbit is directed at any given instant is known as the "apex of the Earth's way". [4] [5]
This equates to an orbital speed of 3.07 kilometres per second (1.91 miles per second) and an orbital period of 1,436 minutes, one sidereal day. This ensures that the satellite will match the Earth's rotational period and has a stationary footprint on the ground. All geostationary satellites have to be located on this ring.
The period of the resultant orbit will be less than that of the original circular orbit. Thrust applied in the direction of the satellite's motion creates an elliptical orbit with its highest point 180 degrees away from the firing point. The period of the resultant orbit will be longer than that of the original circular orbit.