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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They have enough forward speed to fall to earth but never hit. That’s orbit.
They are also at just the right distance that they orbit the earth in the same amount of time it takes for the earth to rotate(24 hours). So from our point of view here on earth they stay in the same spot in the sky always.
They have enough forward speed to fall to earth but never hit. That’s orbit.
They are also at just the right distance that they orbit the earth in the same amount of time it takes for the earth to rotate(24 hours). So from our point of view here on earth they stay in the same spot in the sky always.
Because the earth turns. The object is exactly as far from the earth as it needs to be to match the (relative) speed in relation to earth’s rotation and maintain a stable orbit at that speed.
Because the earth turns. The object is exactly as far from the earth as it needs to be to match the (relative) speed in relation to earth’s rotation and maintain a stable orbit at that speed.
They have enough forward speed to fall to earth but never hit. That’s orbit.
They are also at just the right distance that they orbit the earth in the same amount of time it takes for the earth to rotate(24 hours). So from our point of view here on earth they stay in the same spot in the sky always.
Because the earth turns. The object is exactly as far from the earth as it needs to be to match the (relative) speed in relation to earth’s rotation and maintain a stable orbit at that speed.
The orbiting object is moving at high speed, but at a very high altitude so that as the Earth rotates (once every 24 hours) the object is always over the same spot. Everything is moving, but from the ground it seems to hold still.
Because the Earth is rotating. Geosynchronous just means orbiting as fast as the Earth rotates, or one revolution every 24~ hours. The satellite is still “falling sideways” as they say, just at a speed that matches the rotation of the Earth.
The orbiting object is moving at high speed, but at a very high altitude so that as the Earth rotates (once every 24 hours) the object is always over the same spot. Everything is moving, but from the ground it seems to hold still.
Because the Earth is rotating. Geosynchronous just means orbiting as fast as the Earth rotates, or one revolution every 24~ hours. The satellite is still “falling sideways” as they say, just at a speed that matches the rotation of the Earth.
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