Information About Satellite
A small object that revolves around an object much larger than itself is called a satellite. There are two types of satellites, Natural Satellite and Man-made Satellite, which continuously revolve around a planet or star. Our moon is a natural satellite that orbits the earth and even our earth is a natural satellite as it revolves around the sun. Humans have also created thousands of their own artificial, or man-made, satellites and have dropped them into Earth's orbit for various purposes, playing a huge role for us humans.
Some satellites take pictures of the earth which help meteorologists to make predictions about weather and storms etc. Some satellites take pictures of other distant planets, the Sun, black holes, dark matter or distant galaxies. These pictures help scientists better understand and study the solar system and the universe. But even today, most satellites are mainly used for communication, such as broadcasting on TV and making phone calls around the world.
Types of Satellite
There are Mainly Two Types of Satellites.
Natural Satellite:- The natural celestial bodies revolving around the planets in their orbit are called natural satellites. These satellites are formed by the explosion of planets in space. Example:- Moon is the natural satellite of Earth.
Natural Satellites: Earth and Moon.
Artificial Satellites: - These satellites are made by humans. These satellites revolve around the earth or other planets. These satellites are placed in planetary orbits for various purposes. Example:- Aryabhatta etc.
There are also two types of artificial satellites:
Synchronous or Geo-stationary or communication satellite
Polar Satellite
Artificial or Man-made Satellite.
Fun Facts About Satellites
Some of the most interesting facts about satellites are:
Satellites move very fast, at about 18,000 miles per hour, which allows them to orbit the Earth 14 times a day.
Satellites are not destroyed by meteorites because they are programmed to avoid them.
Satellites used to observe distant planets and galaxies are called astronomical satellites.
Satellites used to make environmental observations and maps are called earth observation satellites.
The satellites used to monitor the weather and climate on Earth are called weather satellites.
Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter, the fifth planet in the Solar System.
The Soviet Union began the "space age" on October 4, 1957, with the launch of the world's first artificial satellite, "Sputnik 1".
Aryabhata was the first satellite of India which was launched on 19 April 1975.
Solved Questions
1. Which is the largest satellite?
Ans: Ganymede is the largest satellite of Jupiter.
2. Which was the first man-made satellite sent into space?
Ans: The world's first artificial satellite was "Sputnik 1".
3. Write True or False.
The Moon is an Artificial Satellite. - False.
Aryabhata was the first satellite of India. - True.
Satellites used to observe distant planets and galaxies are called astronomical satellites. - True.
Learning by Doing
Fun Activity: Name the Natural Satellite of the Earth (Earth has only one Natural Satellite) and make a model of it.
Materials required: A rubber or plastic ball, paint and a black marker pen.
Hints:
Colour the ball. (Make the ball look like a satellite.)
You can add black dots and circles to show scattered craters on the satellite's surface.
Summary
A small object that revolves around an object much larger than itself is called a Satellite. There are two types of Satellites, Natural satellites and Man-made satellites, which continuously revolve around a planet or star. Our moon is a natural satellite that orbits the Earth. Satellites are not destroyed by meteorites because they are programmed to avoid them. The satellites used to monitor the weather and climate on Earth are called weather satellites.
FAQs on Satellite Facts
1. What is a satellite in simple terms?
A satellite is any object that orbits, or circles around, a much larger object in space. The Moon is a natural satellite of Earth. Humans also launch man-made (artificial) satellites, which are machines that help us with communication, weather monitoring, and navigation.
2. Who launched the very first artificial satellite?
The world's first artificial satellite was named Sputnik 1. It was successfully launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957. This historic event marked the beginning of the space age for humanity.
3. Why are satellites so important in our daily lives?
Satellites play a crucial role in modern life by performing many important jobs. Their main uses include:
- Communication: Relaying signals for television, mobile phones, and the internet across the globe.
- Navigation: Providing GPS (Global Positioning System) signals that help maps on our phones and in vehicles guide us.
- Weather Forecasting: Taking pictures of clouds and tracking storms, which helps meteorologists predict the weather accurately.
- Scientific Research: Studying Earth's environment, our solar system, and looking out into deep space to discover new things about the universe.
4. What was the name of India's first satellite?
India's first satellite was named Aryabhata, after the famous ancient Indian astronomer. It was launched on April 19, 1975. Later, in 1981, India launched its first communication satellite, called APPLE (Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment).
5. How fast do satellites have to travel to stay in orbit?
To avoid falling back to Earth, satellites must travel at extremely high speeds. For a satellite in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), this speed is about 28,000 kilometres per hour. This incredible velocity creates a balance with Earth's gravitational pull, allowing the satellite to continuously circle the planet.
6. How do satellites stay in space without falling down?
A satellite stays in orbit because of a perfect balance between two forces: its speed and Earth's gravity. Earth's gravity constantly pulls the satellite downwards. At the same time, the satellite's high forward speed (momentum) tries to make it fly off in a straight line into space. When these two forces are balanced, the satellite is always falling towards Earth but always moving forward fast enough to miss it, resulting in a stable circular path called an orbit.
7. What is the main difference between a natural satellite and an artificial satellite?
The key difference is how they were formed. A natural satellite is a celestial body that was formed naturally in space and orbits a planet. The most famous example is our Moon orbiting the Earth. An artificial satellite, on the other hand, is a man-made machine. Humans build them on Earth and launch them into space using rockets to perform specific tasks.
8. Why do some satellites, like those for TV, seem to stay fixed in one spot in the sky?
These are called geostationary satellites. They orbit the Earth at a very specific altitude (about 35,786 km) directly above the equator. At this height, the satellite's orbital speed perfectly matches the speed of Earth's rotation. Because they move together, the satellite appears to be stationary, or fixed in one position, from our viewpoint on the ground. This is very useful for things like TV dish antennas, which can be pointed at one spot and never have to move.
9. Can we see satellites from Earth with just our eyes?
Yes, you can often see artificial satellites in the night sky without a telescope. They appear as steady, slow-moving points of light, like stars that are travelling across the sky. The best times to spot them are usually a couple of hours after sunset or before sunrise. You are not seeing light made by the satellite; you are seeing sunlight reflecting off its metallic body and solar panels. The International Space Station (ISS) is the biggest and brightest satellite and is very easy to spot.
