Satellites above us
After sunset, a tiny dot of light moves across the sky. It does not blink. It crosses in minutes. What is it?
Step 1 of 4
- A satellite goes round the Earth.
- A low satellite may orbit about 800 km above the ground.
- It moves very fast along its orbit.
- At 800 km, one orbit takes about 100 minutes. That is about 14 orbits a day.
New words
- Artificial satellite — a human-made object that orbits the Earth.
- Orbit — the path of one object round another.
The rule
It is probably a satellite, a human-made object going round the Earth. It moves steadily and does not blink, unlike a plane.
Artificial satellites are human-made and orbit the Earth. They help with research, weather, communication, disasters and navigation.
A satellite 800 km up takes about 100 minutes for one orbit. Higher satellites take longer. A TV satellite about 36,000 km up takes a day to orbit. The Moon is Earth's natural satellite, not made by people.
| Job | Example |
|---|---|
| Scientific research | AstroSat studies stars |
| Weather monitoring | Pictures of clouds and storms |
| Communication | TV and calls between far places |
| Disaster management | Cartosat images of the Earth |
| Navigation | A phone or a ship finds its place |
Stay safe. To spot a satellite, go out with an adult after sunset.
Raise the satellite. Find the height where one orbit takes a day.
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