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Satellites in geostationary orbit. A geosynchronous satellite is a satellite in geosynchronous orbit, with an orbital period the same as the Earth's rotation period.Such a satellite returns to the same position in the sky after each sidereal day, and over the course of a day traces out a path in the sky that is typically some form of analemma.
A weather satellite or meteorological satellite is a type of Earth observation satellite that is primarily used to monitor the weather and climate of the Earth. Satellites can be polar orbiting (covering the entire Earth asynchronously), or geostationary (hovering over the same spot on the equator). [1]
NOAA-20, designated JPSS-1 prior to launch, is the first of the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's latest generation of U.S. polar-orbiting, non-geosynchronous, environmental satellites called the Joint Polar Satellite System.
Polar orbits are used for Earth-mapping, reconnaissance satellites, as well as for some weather satellites. [2] The Iridium satellite constellation uses a polar orbit to provide telecommunications services. Near-polar orbiting satellites commonly choose a Sun-synchronous orbit, where each successive orbital pass occurs at the same local time of ...
To avoid confusion, geosynchronous satellites that are not in geostationary orbit are sometimes referred to as being in an inclined geostationary orbit (IGSO). Some of these satellites are separated from each other by as little as 0.1° longitude. This corresponds to an inter-satellite spacing of approximately 73 km.
Two geostationary satellites in the same orbit A 5° × 6° view of a part of the geostationary belt, showing several geostationary satellites. Those with inclination 0° form a diagonal belt across the image; a few objects with small inclinations to the Equator are visible above this line.
A satellite in a synchronous orbit that is both equatorial and circular will appear to be suspended motionless above a point on the orbited planet's equator. For synchronous satellites orbiting Earth, this is also known as a geostationary orbit. However, a synchronous orbit need not be equatorial; nor circular.
A special case of geosynchronous orbit is the geostationary orbit (often abbreviated GEO), which is a circular geosynchronous orbit in Earth's equatorial plane with both inclination and eccentricity equal to 0. A satellite in a geostationary orbit remains in the same position in the sky to observers on the surface. [1]