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Science Corner: What is a Satellite?

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Global Positioning System Satellite (GPS) orbiting round the Earth
Global Positioning System Satellite (GPS) orbiting round the Earth

I know what you are thinking. You are thinking along the lines of your DSTV satellite dish, or the type you see in Science documentaries, and movies like Gravity, and The Martian. Well, you may not be too far from the truth.

A Satellite is an object that orbits a larger body in space; an example is the moon which orbits the Earth, and the moons of other planets. Even the Earth is a satellite, because it moves round the sun! Satellites can be either artificial objects that we send up from Earth, or they can be natural as mentioned before. Did you know these?

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The Earth and its satellite, the Moon
The Earth and its satellite, the Moon

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Jupiter with some of its moons
Jupiter with some of its moons

But, your DSTV satellite dish is so named because it receives signals from a satellite in space. By itself, it isn’t a satellite as the definition shows.

Some Scientific Terms You Should Know

Moon: This refers to any natural satellite that orbits round a planet.

Orbit: The curved path of a celestial object or spacecraft around a star, planet or moon.

Celestial object:  Any naturally formed object of substantial size in space. Examples include comets, asteroids, planets, moons, stars and galaxies.

Asteroid: A small rocky body orbiting the sun.

Comet: A small icy body that orbits the sun; and heats up when it comes near the sun, giving off bright, beautiful lights

Planet: A celestial object orbiting a star. For example, Earth, Mars,Jupiter

Star: A bright, spherical object that is held in space by its own gravity. For example, the Sun

Galaxy:  A system of stars, and other celestial objects bound together by gravity

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