eli5: I’ve heard orbit described as continuously falling past or missing the Earth, how then do objects in geosynchronous orbit above a single point not fall out of the sky?
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> The trick to flying is to throw yourself at the ground and miss
Orbits can be very counter-initiative. The faster you go, the higher you reach. However, due to complicated physics interactions, a higher orbit is faster through space but slower relative to the body’s surface. You accelerate to move slower. This relationship enables a geosynchronous orbit altitude where your orbital period matches the rotation of the body you are orbiting. While you are moving faster through space than low orbit, your speed relative to the body’s surface is basically zero.
Note that geostationary orbit is actually just one specific ring at geosynchronous altitude. If you aren’t on this specific ring right above the equator and running west to east, referred to as 0 degrees of inclination, you will be seen to be swinging north and south from the surface like an inverted pendulum, And if your orbit is not completely at the specific geosynchronous altitude, you could be seen as moving in a figure-8 pattern from the surface, like a solar analemma repeating every orbit.
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