Printer Friendly
The Free Dictionary
983,099,461 visitors served.
?
Dictionary/
thesaurus
Medical
dictionary
Legal
dictionary
Financial
dictionary
Acronyms
 
Idioms
Encyclopedia
Wikipedia
encyclopedia
?

satellite
(redirected from artificial satellite)

   Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Medical, Wikipedia, Hutchinson 0.07 sec.

satellite

Natural object (moon) or spacecraft (artificial satellite) orbiting a larger astronomical body. Most known natural satellites orbit planets; the Earth's Moon is the most obvious example and was the only one known until the discovery of the Galilean satellites of Jupiter in 1610. All the solar system's planets except Mercury and Venus have moons, which vary greatly in size, composition (from rock to mostly ice), and activity (from cold and inert to volcanic). Some asteroids are also known to have their own moons. The first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched into orbit around Earth in 1957. Since then, thousands have been sent into orbit around Earth as well as the Moon, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and other bodies. Artificial satellites are used for scientific research and other purposes, such as communication (see communications satellite), weather forecasting, Earth resources management, and military intelligence. See also Landsat.


See communications satellite.


?Page tools
Printer friendly
Cite / link
Email
Feedback
? Mentioned in ? References in periodicals archive
 
This artificial satellite, about the size of a basketball, took less than two hours to orbit the Earth, but the effect was huge and longlasting.
First, TV stations send signals in the form of light waves to artificial satellites.
Monday's flight occurred on the 47th anniversary of the former Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik I, the world's first artificial satellite.
 
Encyclopedia browser? ? Full browser
 
 
Encyclopedia
?

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.