Talha's Physics Academy
Gravitation - Satellites and Orbits
Q. Differentiate between Natural and Artificial Satellites.
| Natural Satellite | Artificial Satellite |
|---|---|
| Celestial bodies that revolve around planets naturally are called Natural Satellites. | Man-made objects sent into space by scientists to revolve around the Earth or other planets are called Artificial Satellites. |
| Example: The Moon is a natural satellite because it revolves around the Earth naturally. | Example: Sputnik-1 and Explorer-1 are amongst the earliest artificial satellites. |
Q. Write 5 Uses of Artificial Satellites.
Artificial satellites serve critical modern technological and scientific functions:
- Communication: Relaying global television, radio, internet, and telephone signals across continents.
- Star Maps: Assisting astronomers in charting celestial bodies and mapping star constellations without atmospheric interference.
- Planetary Mapping: Creating accurate topographic maps of Earth and other planetary surfaces.
- Weather Forecasting: Collecting real-time atmospheric data, tracking storms, and monitoring global weather patterns.
- Earth & Space Imaging: Taking high-resolution pictures of planets, environmental changes, and natural disasters.
Q. Write different types of orbits of artificial satellites and explain “Geostationary Orbit”.
Types of Orbits
Artificial satellites are launched into various orbits characterized primarily by their distance from the Earth and their orbital time period:
- Communication / High Earth Orbit
- Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)
- Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO)
- Geostationary Orbit
- Elliptic Orbit
Geostationary Orbit
"An artificial satellite which completes one revolution around the Earth in exactly 24 hours is used for communication purposes. Because the Earth also completes one rotation about its axis in 24 hours, the satellite appears completely stationary with respect to an observer on Earth. Its orbit is therefore called a Geostationary Orbit."
Since satellites placed in these specialized orbits remain fixed relative to a specific point on the ground, they maintain uninterrupted line-of-sight contact with ground antenna dishes, making them essential Communication Satellites.
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