Why does orbit work
Gravity is stronger the closer you are to Earth. And satellites that orbit close to Earth must travel at very high speeds to stay in orbit. It has to travel at 17, miles per hour to stay in orbit. It only has to travel about 6, miles per hour to overcome gravity and stay in orbit. Satellites and Technology. The Short Answer:. Drag a word to its definition. You have answered 0 of 3 questions correctly and your score is:.
Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together. We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply. Follow Twitter Instagram Facebook. What forces cause an object to orbit around another? What is a satellite? What objects orbit around others? Wonder What's Next? Tomorrow's Wonder of the Day may send chills down your spine!
Try It Out Ready to keep learning? Find a grown-up who can help you with these activities! Learn more about this and the other shapes orbits can take. Then, explain what you learned to a friend or family member. Is a perfectly round orbit ever possible? Earth completes one full trip around the Sun about every days.
What about the other planets? Create a visual aid, like a poster or presentation, to help others learn about the orbits of the planets in our solar system. What other questions do you have about our universe? Make a list. Then, ask an adult to help you do your own research online or at the local library. Write down the interesting facts you learn. Have fun and stay curious!
Did you get it? Test your knowledge. What are you wondering? Wonder Words concepts matter natural satellites revolving external celestial artificial elliptical Take the Wonder Word Challenge. Orbital mechanics can also be mysterious because there is no easy way for us to experience orbital mechanics personally. However, with a little imagination, you can understand the basic idea behind orbital mechanics very easily. It turns out that we play with orbital mechanics all the time!
Think about what happens when you throw a ball. Imagine that you are standing in a big field and throw a baseball as hard as you can -- like a pitcher. The ball might go feet 30 meters and then hit the ground. You put the ball in orbit -- It's just that a ball's orbit is very short!
Now imagine that you shot a rifle straight and level instead of throwing a ball. The bullet might travel a mile 1. Now imagine that you shoot a very large cannon that is able to give its shell an extremely high initial velocity. Also imagine that our world is completely covered in water to remove any worries about hills, and that the cannon is shot straight and level.
Its path might look like the image to the right. One thing that gums these examples up is air resistance, so imagine that you took this cannon to the moon and mounted it on top of the highest mountain.