The diagram shows a polar orbit satellite passing over the North and South Poles of the Earth. Which statement about this satellite is correct?
Question 1 Report
The diagram shows a polar orbit satellite passing over the North and South Poles of the Earth.
Which statement about this satellite is correct?
Answer Details
A polar orbit satellite travels over (or close to) both the North and South Poles of the Earth, as shown in the diagram. This type of orbit has several distinctive characteristics that distinguish it from a geostationary orbit.
Polar orbit satellites operate at relatively low altitudes (typically a few hundred kilometres above the surface). As the satellite orbits from pole to pole, the Earth rotates beneath it. Over successive orbits, the satellite passes over different strips of the Earth's surface, eventually covering the entire globe. This makes polar orbits ideal for Earth observation, weather monitoring, and mapping.
A polar orbit satellite does not remain above the same point (that describes a geostationary satellite). It does not orbit in the plane of the equator (geostationary satellites do). Its orbital period is typically around 90 minutes to 2 hours, far shorter than 24 hours. The correct statement is that it orbits at low altitude and can observe the whole Earth's surface as the Earth rotates beneath it.
Download The App On Google Playstore
Everything you need to excel in your exams
