Question 86 of 88
Q.Write short notes on Geostationary Satellites and Polar Satellites.
Tamil Nadu DgeTamil Nadu HSC First Year (DGE) Board 2025Subjective· 3mImportance★★★★★
98% · 86/88 Questions
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Geostationary satellites sit high above the equator, matching Earth's rotation to stay fixed over one spot (used for communication); polar satellites orbit low and near the poles, scanning the whole globe as Earth turns beneath them (used for remote sensing/weather).
Geostationary Satellites:
- Orbit in the plane of the Earth's equator.
- Orbital altitude approximately 36,000 km (35,786 km) above the Earth's surface.
- Orbital period is exactly 24 hours (one sidereal day), the same as Earth's own rotation period.
- Because the satellite's angular speed matches Earth's rotation, it appears STATIONARY relative to any fixed point on the ground below it.
- Applications: telecommunication relay, television broadcasting, weather monitoring of a fixed region.
Polar Satellites:
- Orbit in a plane that passes near or over the Earth's North and South poles (a near-polar orbit), roughly perpendicular to the equatorial plane.
- Orbital altitude is much lower, typically 500-800 km.
- Orbital period is short, roughly 100 minutes (many orbits per day). …
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