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inertia makes it want to fly straight but gravity makes it curve
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∙ 15y ago
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Why do cosmologists calculate these asteroid's orbits and compare such orbits with the earth's orbit?
So we can guess when a meteor might hit the Earth.
What is the difference between a moon and a meteor?
Meteors are objects that fly into earth's atmosphere and burn; sometimes they burn up completely and sometimes they land on the ground (or water). The Moon does not and hopefully never will hit the earth's atmosphere. The Moon is a satellite of Earth; that is to say it orbits around the Earth. Meteors are not satellites; they just fly in from wherever.
Is there moon on the Earth?
The moon is not on the earth if it was we all would be dead because we would have been squashed by the moon and the gravitaty. but the moon orbits the earth and the earth orbits the sun. it is like a racetrack when your watching a cartoon and they get hit in the head and birds are flying around their head. its like the racecar driver was driving still and got hit in the head and had the birds flying around it.
WhEre did the satELlite hit?
The NASA UARS Satellite fell to earth north-east of Vanuatu, 14.1 degrees South latitude and 170.2 degrees West longitude.
What layers o the atmosphere must be hit by waves in order for sound to be reflected back to the earth?
satellite
How is the moon classified planet or asteroid?
The moon is a satellite, although people propose now and then that the earth-moon system could be considered a double or binary planetary system. Since the barycenter (the center of gravity of the earth-moon) is within the body of the earth, considering the moon as a satellite makes more sense.
When did the satellite hit earth today?
No one is sure. But it will come down maybe in the ocean because that is 75% of our planet
Why doesnt a satellite need fuel to keep orbiting?
Prev. Answer : A satellite does not need fuel to keep orbiting because it continues to orbit due to its inertia, which balances the effect of Earth's gravity.Improved Answer : Satellites with no atmospheric interactions IDEALLY revolve around the Earth due to inertia, BUT most satellites ARE FUELLED because :(1) some of them have elliptical orbits that may bring them close to the atmosphere during their orbits (for example Molniya orbits).(2) satellites are affected by third body gravitational interactions (Sun, Moon) that affect their position (orbital altitude) every time they complete one revolution.(3) Solar radiation pressure can cause a deviation in path over one complete revolution.(4) Meteoric rock particles may hit the satellite causing orbit deviation.In fact, the major factor is usually the effect of atmospheric drag.Hence, most satellites are fuelled to correct their deviations in position, averaged over one complete revolution, by giving optimum thrust, decided by Navigation & Control team at station in Earth.
When has a space shuttle ever hit a satellite?
A space shuttle has never hit a satellite.
Why doesnt all of the suns energy make it to the earth?
-- Almost all of it misses the Earth, because the Earth is such a small target. -- A substantial amount of the tiny fraction that does score a direct hit on the Earth is absorbed by the atmosphere.
How is a satellite's orbit like a falling basketball?
Because it is falling. Really. We call it "free fall" rather than "weightlessness", because things in space still have weight; it's just that when we're falling, we don't FEEL the weight. We only feel it when we are RESISTING the weight, such as standing on the Earth, or sitting or standing. Make a parachute jump, and before you open your parachute you won't be "weightless", but you WILL be in "free fall". So what's the difference between a satellite and a basketball? The ball isn't going very fast, and it will hit the ground - and bounce. A satellite is moving SIDEWAYS so fast that by the time it has fallen, the satellite has already missed the Earth. And it KEEPS moving so fast that the satellite KEEPS MISSING! This happens because there is no (or very little) air in space, so there is nothing to cause the satellite to slow down. The lowest practical orbits are about 120 miles up; much lower, and the satellite will encounter some tiny trace of air resistance, which will begin to slow the satellite down and cause it to fall to Earth. At that altitude, the orbital velocity is about 18,000 miles per hour.
How is a satellite placed in orbit and why it retains its position in space?
This can vary depending on the function of the satellite. In general, the satellite is launched by unmanned rockets or from the space shuttle payload bay at the correct altitude. After the satellite is released from the launch vehicle, the speed of a satellite is adjusted so that the rate at which it is being pulled back toward the earth is the same as the rate at which the earth is turning underneath it. So it is continually falling but not hitting the earth. This is what is also happening to the space shuttle when in earth orbit and the ISS. Satellites in geostationary orbit - where they appear to remain over a single point on the earth - must have a circular orbit for this to occur. That is why they are placed over the equator. Any other orbit is elliptical in shape. The problem that arises is that the earth is not perfectly round, even at the equator, and so the orbit of geostationary satellites must be adjusted every two weeks to compensate for this. The engines are remotely fired for the correct amount of time. When the fuel runs out, this can no longer be done. Orbital mechanics is a complex and detailed concept to understand. See some of the Web Links to the left.
