What Is Earth S Satellite Called

The earth s natural satellite is called the moon the moon is called the moon but the correct term for what it is is a natural satellite earths only our solar system s 5th largest.

What is earth s satellite called. Earth satellite also called artificial satellite artificial object launched into a temporary or permanent orbit around earth. On 4 october 1957 the soviet union launched the world s first artificial satellite sputnik 1 since then about 8 900 satellites from more than 40 countries have been launched. Earth is the third planet from the sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life according to radiometric dating estimation and other evidence earth formed over 4 5 billion years ago. Earth s gravity interacts with other objects in space especially the sun and the moon which is earth s only natural satellite earth orbits around the sun in about 365 25 days.

The moon s distance from earth is about 240 000 miles 385 000km. The moon is earth s only natural satellite and the fifth largest moon in the solar system. In the context of spaceflight a satellite is an object that has been intentionally placed into orbit these objects are called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as earth s moon. A satellite is an object that moves around a larger object.

For the satellite to go into orbit around the earth it must have some forward motion. If a satellite were launched vertically from the earth and then released it would fall back to earth because of gravity. Planet earth has an abundance of water that makes it unique and perfect for life to exist. The white house agreed that this might be a good idea and announced plans to launch an earth orbiting satellite to take measurements of the upper atmosphere and the effects of the solar wind.

Spacecraft of this type may be either crewed or uncrewed the latter being the most common. For that reason when the satellite is launched it is given both vertical and forward motion. The moon s presence helps stabilize our planet s wobble which helps stabilize our climate. One is called low earth orbit which extends from about 160 to 2 000 km about 100 to 1 250 miles.