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The 2006 (re)definition of a planet includes three criteria - 1) it is in orbit around the Sun, 2) it's achieved hydrostatic equilibrium (characterized by sufficient mass to have a rounded shape), 3) it has cleared the area around it orbit. Under this last criteria, Pluto, formerly considered a planet, is now classified as a dwarf planet as it has only cleared a tiny fraction of its orbit.
Mercury is the smallest of the major planets, but it won't be classified as a dwarf. The reason that it won't be classified as a dwarf planet is that it has cleared its orbit of other objects. Pluto, Ceres, Eris, and the other dwarf planets all have a bunch of other junk in their orbits, and that is why they aren't considered planets any more.
A satellite in a polar orbit orbits from north to south. As the earth turns, it passes over all the surface area of the earth. Therefore, polar orbits are ideal for detecting things on the planet's surface.
It orbits in Geospace. Geospace is defined as the area of outer space near the Earth. It includes the ionosphere, magnetosphere and the Van Allen Belts. Most artificial satellites operate within this region and it's called low earth orbit
A satellite in Geosychronous Earth Orbit (GEO) orbits the Earth in the same time period that the Earth spins, so the satellite appears to be stationary over one spot above the Earth's equator. It's always looking down at the same area of the Earth. A satellite in a polar orbit will pass quickly over any one spot on Earth and keep going. It can't watch the same area for a long period. Depending on the altitude of the orbit, it may take days or weeks to pass over the same area again. However, polar orbits are typically much lower, permitting a much higher resolution image. This is very important for photo imagery, but not so much for weather.
Planet
The type of object that orbits the sun and has cleared the area of its orbit is called a planet. Planets are celestial bodies that orbit the sun, are spherical in shape, and have cleared their orbit of other debris or objects. There are currently eight known planets in our solar system.
A planet
The 2006 (re)definition of a planet includes three criteria - 1) it is in orbit around the Sun, 2) it's achieved hydrostatic equilibrium (characterized by sufficient mass to have a rounded shape), 3) it has cleared the area around it orbit. Under this last criteria, Pluto, formerly considered a planet, is now classified as a dwarf planet as it has only cleared a tiny fraction of its orbit.
The Earth's Moon is a greyish object that has a surface area of 3.793 × 107 km² and orbits our planet
Mercury is the smallest of the major planets, but it won't be classified as a dwarf. The reason that it won't be classified as a dwarf planet is that it has cleared its orbit of other objects. Pluto, Ceres, Eris, and the other dwarf planets all have a bunch of other junk in their orbits, and that is why they aren't considered planets any more.
A satellite in a polar orbit orbits from north to south. As the earth turns, it passes over all the surface area of the earth. Therefore, polar orbits are ideal for detecting things on the planet's surface.
A curved path around an object. Refers to the path of a Satellite or the surrounding area of the eye.
It orbits in Geospace. Geospace is defined as the area of outer space near the Earth. It includes the ionosphere, magnetosphere and the Van Allen Belts. Most artificial satellites operate within this region and it's called low earth orbit
The area of the earth which is imaged during a satellite orbit is referred to as the satellite swath and can range in width from ten to hundreds ofkilometers. As the satellite orbits the earth a different area is covered due to the earth's rotation. The elevation of the satellite orbit is designed so that the same location will be retraced (imaged) in a period of several weeks.
A polar orbit (as opposed to an equatorial orbit) passes over the poles, north and south. A low orbit is relatively close to the Earth (or other object being orbited), it might be a few hundred miles up.
A satellite in Geosychronous Earth Orbit (GEO) orbits the Earth in the same time period that the Earth spins, so the satellite appears to be stationary over one spot above the Earth's equator. It's always looking down at the same area of the Earth. A satellite in a polar orbit will pass quickly over any one spot on Earth and keep going. It can't watch the same area for a long period. Depending on the altitude of the orbit, it may take days or weeks to pass over the same area again. However, polar orbits are typically much lower, permitting a much higher resolution image. This is very important for photo imagery, but not so much for weather.