In our group on VK (vk.com/posterspbru), one of the users left such a playfully sarcastic comment:

- Monya, where are you looking?

- To the stars. Believe it or not, there are 8000 satellites!

- And sho, it became easier to breathe?

He gave us the idea of ​​this article.

Perhaps Moni's friend is right - in the literal sense of the word, satellites do not help people breathe. Although this is a controversial issue, because satellites are able to save from situations in which people can suffocate. Probably, many of us rarely think about how strongly companions affect our lives.

Here are some of the applications that satellites provide us with.

1. Satellites send television signals to homes, but they are also the basis for cable and network TV. In other words, there are no satellites - no news, no broadcasts of sports matches, no live Olympics, etc. Satellites transmit signals from a central station, which generates programs for smaller stations that broadcast signals locally. All direct connections are possible thanks to satellites.

2. Satellites provide telephone communications on airplanes and are often the only telephone channel for many rural areas and areas where telephone lines have been damaged by natural disasters. Satellites also provide the primary clock source for cell phones and pagers. In 1998, a satellite failure demonstrated this addiction - 80% of pagers in the United States temporarily fell silent, public national radio was unable to distribute its broadcasts to affiliates and only broadcast via a website, and the CBS evening news froze video and only broadcast audio.

3. Satellite navigation systems allow any user to navigate the terrain. GPS navigators are part of the modern world, whether they are used in private vehicles or for commercial or military purposes for navigation on land, at sea or in the air. And by the way, GPS navigation plays a decisive role in many situations, for example, when a ship is heading for a harbor in bad weather.

4. Satellites connect companies to suppliers, provide the backbone for international video conferencing, provide instant credit card authorization and banking. Without a satellite in orbit, you will not be able to pay for goods in the hypermarket with your bank card.

5. Satellites provide meteorologists with weather data, with the help of which they monitor not only whether it will be cloudy or sunny today, but also for volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, gas leaks, and the like. Returning to the question about Mona and his friend, in some cases, satellites will help a person breathe, simply because they will warn him that a cloud of toxic gases is moving to the place where he is. Or a satellite can rescue him at sea or on land by transmitting a beacon signal to rescue services.

Sputniks are one of the main sources of data for climate change research. Satellites monitor ocean temperatures and currents. They can point to air pollution, help organize rescue operations in disaster regions, help locate people in remote areas, send distress signals, and more.

6. The satellite can detect groundwater and mineral springs, monitor the transfer of nutrients and pollutants from the earth to water sources, measure the temperature of land and water, measure the growth of algae in the seas and erosion of the topsoil on land. They can effectively monitor large-scale infrastructures such as fuel lines that need to be checked for leaks using satellites rather than manual labor (which will take hours). Satellite imagery is helping a variety of industries, and even you can take advantage of Google Earth thanks to satellites.

Satellites are of great importance to developing countries, as they provide their populations in remote regions with access to data, educational information, medical information, and the like. A person can only get the right treatment because their doctor consults with a more experienced companion colleague.

7. Space exploration is impossible without satellites. Telescopic satellites play a critical role in understanding many space phenomena.

Man-made satellites in Earth's orbit have a profound effect on our modern life, although many do not realize this. To some extent, satellites help us breathe freely, providing us with data, timely help, and opportunities. Satellites make life safer, provide a host of modern conveniences, and help broadcast entertainment and explore Earth and space.

Why, in order to transmit, for example, a television signal from New York to Moscow, is it necessary to launch some kind of apparatus far into space? The answer to this question is very simple: the Earth has the shape of a ball. Radio waves, which transmit sound, images and even computer data in the form of electromagnetic waves, propagate in a straight line. They cannot bend around the Earth and cannot pass through its thickness. From whatever point on the Earth we send radio waves on their way, they will inevitably go away from our planet, into space. True, part of the radio waves, as from a mirror, is reflected from the ionosphere - a special layer surrounding the Earth. Reflected - and again falls on the surface of the planet, many hundreds and thousands of kilometers from the transmitter. Long-range radio communication is based on this phenomenon. That is why, with the help of a conventional receiver, we can hear radio broadcasts from America or China.

But the trouble is that with the help of such waves (they are called short, medium and long), neither a television image, nor high-quality sound, nor a large amount of data can be transmitted. To transmit a television signal or high-quality music, special radio waves with a high vibration frequency are needed. They are called ultrashort. Ultrashort waves from the ionosphere are not reflected and freely go into outer space. How can we make it so that a television image at ultrashort waves can be transmitted over a long distance? Right! You need to catch waves in space and redirect them back to Earth. Where the receiver is. This is what communication satellites are for. To put it simply, a communications satellite is a mirror for radio waves suspended in space. The satellite hangs so high that for it cities located far from each other, for example, London and Istanbul, are "visible" at a glance. Radio waves can freely travel to both cities from the satellite without encountering any obstacles. And the waves go to the satellite from these capitals (and from many other places on Earth) just as freely. The satellite helps the radio signal "jump" across the curvature of the earth.

In some ways, a communications satellite is similar to tall television towers. After all, the higher the tower, the further the radio signal can be transmitted. If the top of the TV tower is within line of sight, you can receive TV broadcasts from it to your TV. But it is worth driving further - the tower will disappear behind the horizon (that is, behind the bend of the Earth). Now radio waves will not reach your TV. The satellite is tens of thousands of kilometers higher than the tallest tower. Therefore, he can simultaneously transmit his waves to a huge part of the globe.

However, there is a significant difference between the satellite and the tower. If the television tower stands in one place, then the satellite must fly at a tremendous speed (more than 8 kilometers per second!) Around the Earth. Otherwise, he will simply fall. These are the laws of physics. How to make it so that it, like the top of a TV tower, is always at one point? Satellites observing the earth's surface, or orbiting spaceships, do not fly very high - at about an altitude of 200 - 300 kilometers. On a good clear night, they can even be seen from Earth. Here a bright point appeared above the horizon, flew across the sky and after some minutes disappeared again beyond the horizon. And although the point on the Earth at which the observer stands, as well as the satellite, rotate around the earth's axis, the spacecraft overtakes the earth's surface. It flies faster than the Earth rotates.

In order for the satellite to be in the sky constantly at the same point, it must be launched at a very high altitude. Then the orbit - the path that he will describe around our planet will be very long. The orbital time of the satellite and the orbital time of any point on the earth's surface around the axis of the planet will become the same. Scientifically speaking, the angular velocity of the satellite and the surface of the planet will be equal.

This can be understood using a very simple example. If you fix, for example, two plasticine balls on a rotating wheel - one on the outer side of the wheel, the other on the inner side, closer to the axis, then you can see that the ball at the rim is moving at high speed, and the one at the center is barely moving. However, they are motionless relative to each other and are on the same line. Their angular velocity is the same. The ball at the axis is the surface of the Earth. The ball on the outside of the wheel is a communications satellite rotating in an orbit.

An orbit that allows a satellite to hang motionlessly above the Earth's surface is called geostationary. It has the shape of a circle and runs roughly above the Earth's equator - the line separating the Northern Hemisphere from the Southern Hemisphere. It is from such a satellite, located 35-40 thousand kilometers away, that we receive TV programs on "antennas", which gradually began to grow at home in our country.

Comparatively small cosmic bodies that revolve around larger host planets are called natural satellites. In part, a whole science is devoted to them - planetology.

In the 70s, astronomers assumed that Mercury had several celestial bodies depending on it, since they caught ultraviolet radiation around it. Later it turned out that the light belonged to a distant star.

Modern equipment allows for a more detailed study of the planet closest to the Sun. Today, all planetary scientists in unison insist that it has no satellites.

Satellites of the planet Venus

Venus is called Earth-like because they have the same composition. But if we talk about natural space objects, then the planet named after the goddess of love is close to Mercury. These two planets in the solar system are unique in that they are completely alone.

Astrologers believe that earlier Venus could have seen such, but to date, not a single one has been found.

How many natural satellites does the Earth have?

Our native Earth has many satellites, but only one natural one, which every person knows about from infancy - this is the Moon.

The size of the Moon exceeds a quarter of the Earth's diameter and is 3475 km. She is the only celestial body with such large dimensions relative to the "owner".

Surprisingly, its mass is small at the same time - 7.35 × 10²² kg, which indicates a low density. Multiple craters on the surface are visible from Earth, even without any special devices.

What satellites does Mars have?

Mars is a fairly small planet, sometimes referred to as red because of its scarlet hue. It is given by iron oxide, which is part of its composition. Today Mars boasts two natural celestial objects.

Both satellites, Deimos and Phobos, were discovered by Asaf Hall in 1877. They are the smallest and darkest objects in our comic system.

Deimos translates as the ancient Greek god who sows panic and horror. Based on observations, it is gradually moving away from Mars. Phobos, bearing the name of the god who brings fear and chaos, is the only satellite that is so close to the "owner" (at a distance of 6000 km).

The surfaces of Phobos and Deimos are abundantly covered with craters, dust and various loose rocks.

Moons of Jupiter

Today, the giant Jupiter has 67 satellites - more than other planets. The largest of them are considered the achievement of Galileo Galilei, since they were discovered by him in 1610.

Among the celestial bodies orbiting Jupiter, it is worth noting:

• Adrasteus, with a diameter of 250 × 147 × 129 km and a mass of ~ 3.7 × 1016 kg;
• Metis - dimensions 60 × 40 × 35 km, weight ~ 2 1015 kg;
• Thebes, which has a scale of 116 × 99 × 85 and a mass of ~ 4.4 × 1017 kg;
• Amalthea - 250 × 148 × 127 km, 2 1018 kg;
• Io with a weight of 9 1022 kg at 3660 × 3639 × 3630 km;
• Ganymede, which with a mass of 1.5 · 1023 kg had a diameter of 5263 km;
• Europe, occupying 3120 km and weighing 5 · 1022 kg;
• Callisto, with a diameter of 4820 km and having a mass of 1 · 1023 kg.

The first satellites were discovered in 1610, some from the 70s to the 90s, then in 2000, 2002, 2003. The last of them were discovered in 2012.

Saturn and its moons

Found 62 satellites, of which 53 have names. Most of them are composed of ice and rock and are reflective.

The largest space objects of Saturn:

How many satellites does Uranus have?

At the moment, Uranus has 27 natural celestial bodies. They are named after characters from famous works by Alexander Pope and William Shakespeare.

Names and list by quantity with description:

Moons of Neptune

The planet, whose name is consonant with the name of the great god of the seas, was discovered in 1846. She was the first to be found through mathematical calculations, and not through observation. Gradually, new satellites were discovered at her, until they counted 14.

List

The moons of Neptune are named after nymphs and various sea deities from Greek mythology.

The beautiful Nereid was discovered in 1949 by Gerard Kuiper. Proteus is a non-spherical space body and is being studied in detail by planetary scientists.

Giant Triton is the iciest object in the solar system with a temperature of -240 ° C, as well as the only satellite orbiting itself in the opposite direction to the rotation of the "host".

Almost all satellites of Neptune have craters on the surface, volcanoes - both fiery and ice. They spew out from their bowels a mixture of methane, dust, liquid nitrogen and other substances. Therefore, a person cannot be on them without special protection.

What are the "satellites of the planets" and how many are there in the solar system?

Satellites are cosmic bodies that are smaller in size than the "host" planets and revolve in the orbits of the latter. The question of the origin of satellites is still open and is one of the key issues in modern planetary science.

Today, 179 natural space objects are known, which are distributed as follows:

• Venus and Mercury - 0;
• Earth - 1;
• Mars - 2;
• Pluto - 5;
• Neptune - 14;
• Uranus - 27;
• Saturn - 63;
• Jupiter - 67.

Technologies are improving every year, finding more celestial bodies. Perhaps, new satellites will be discovered soon. We just have to wait, constantly checking the news.

The largest satellite in the solar system

The largest in our solar system is considered to be Ganymede - the satellite of the giant Jupiter. Its diameter, according to scientists, is 5263 km. Next in size is Titan with a size of 5150 km - the "moon" of Saturn. The three leaders are closed by Callisto - Ganymede's "neighbor", with whom they share one "master". Its scale is 4800 km.

Why do planets need satellites?

Planetary scientists at all times asked the question "Why do we need satellites?" or "What impact do they have on the planets?" Based on observations and calculations, some conclusions can be drawn.

Natural satellites play important role for the "owners". They create a certain climate on the planet. It is no less important that they serve as protection against asteroids, comets, and other dangerous celestial bodies.

Despite such a significant impact, satellites are still not required for the planet. Even without their presence, life can form and be maintained on it. This conclusion was made by the American scientist Jack Lissauer from the NASA Space Science Center.

Satellites and planets of the solar system

Natural satellites of planets play a colossal role in the life of these space objects. Moreover, even we humans are able to feel on our own skin the influence of the only natural satellite of our planet - the Moon.

Natural satellites of the planets of the solar system have aroused keen interest among astronomers for a long time. To this day, scientists are studying them. What are these space objects?

Natural satellites of planets are cosmic bodies of natural origin that revolve around planets. The most interesting for us are natural satellites of the planets of the solar system, since they are in close proximity to us.

In the solar system, only two planets do not have natural satellites. These are Venus and Mercury. Although it is assumed that earlier Mercury had natural satellites, however, this planet lost them in the course of its evolution. As for the rest of the planets of the solar system, each of them has at least one natural satellite. The most famous of them is the Moon, which is our planet's faithful space companion. Mars has, Jupiter -, Saturn -, Uranus -, Neptune -. Among these satellites, we can find both very unremarkable objects, consisting mainly of stone, and very interesting specimens that deserve special attention, and which we will talk about below.

Satellite classification

Scientists divide planetary satellites into two types: artificial and natural satellites. Artificial satellites, or, as they are also called, artificial satellites are spacecraft created by people that allow you to observe the planet around which they orbit, as well as other astronomical objects from space. Usually artificial satellites are used to observe the weather, radio transmission, changes in the relief of the planet's surface, as well as for military purposes.

ISS is the largest artificial Earth satellite

It should be noted that not only Earth has satellites of artificial origin, as many people believe. More than a dozen artificial satellites created by mankind revolve around the two planets closest to us - Venus and Mars. They allow you to observe climatic conditions, changes in the relief, as well as receive other relevant information regarding our space neighbors.

Ganymede is the largest satellite in the solar system

The second category of satellites, natural satellites of planets, is of great interest to us in this article. Natural satellites differ from artificial ones in that they were created not by man, but by nature itself. It is believed that most of the satellites in the solar system are asteroids that have been captured by the gravitational forces of the planets in this system. Subsequently, the asteroids took on a spherical shape and, as a result, began to revolve around the planet that captured them as a permanent companion. There is also a theory that the natural satellites of the planets are fragments of these planets themselves, which for one reason or another broke away from the planet itself during its formation. By the way, according to this theory, this is how the natural satellite of the Earth, the Moon, arose. This theory is confirmed by a chemical analysis of the composition of the moon. He showed that the chemical composition of the satellite practically does not differ from the chemical composition of our planet, where the same chemical compounds are present as on the Moon.

Interesting facts about the most interesting satellites

One of the most interesting natural satellites of the planets of the solar system is the natural satellite. Charon, in comparison with Pluto, is so huge that many astronomers call these two space objects nothing more than a double dwarf planet. The planet Pluto is only twice the size of its natural satellite.

Astronomers are keenly interested in the natural satellite. Most of the natural satellites of the planets in the solar system are composed primarily of ice, rock, or both, with the result that they lack an atmosphere. However, Titan has this, and it is quite dense, as well as lakes of liquid hydrocarbons.

Another natural satellite that gives scientists hope for the detection of extraterrestrial life forms is the satellite of Jupiter -. It is believed that under the thick layer of ice that covers the satellite, there is an ocean, inside which thermal springs operate - exactly the same as on Earth. Since some deep sea life on Earth exists from these sources, it is believed that similar life forms may exist on Titan.

The planet Jupiter has another interesting natural satellite -. Io is the only satellite on the planet of the solar system on which astrophysicists first discovered active volcanoes. It is for this reason that it is of particular interest to space explorers.

Research of natural satellites

Studies of natural satellites of the planets of the solar system have interested the minds of astronomers since ancient times. Since the invention of the first telescope, people have been actively studying these celestial objects. The breakthrough in the development of civilization made it possible not only to discover a colossal number of satellites of various planets of the solar system, but also to set foot on the main, closest to us, satellite of the Earth - the Moon. On July 21, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong together with the crew of the Apollo 11 spacecraft first set foot on the lunar surface, which caused jubilation in the hearts of the then mankind and is still considered one of the most important and significant events in space exploration.

In addition to the Moon, scientists are actively involved in the study of other natural satellites of the planets of the solar system. For this, astronomers use not only visual and radar observation methods, but also use modern spacecraft, as well as artificial satellites. For example, the spacecraft "" for the first time transmitted to the Earth images of several of Jupiter's largest satellites:,. In particular, thanks to these images, scientists were able to record the presence of volcanoes on the satellite of Io, and the ocean on Europa.

Today, the world community of space explorers continues to actively study the natural satellites of the planets of the solar system. In addition to various government programs, there are also private projects aimed at studying these space objects. In particular, the world famous American company "Google" is now developing a tourist lunar rover, on which many who wish could take a walk on the moon.

What are satellites for?

Who among us did not shout joyfully, looking into the deep starry sky: - Look, look, the satellite is flying! And this satellite was not at all associated with anything other than space.
But now - a completely different story! Satellites are communications, television, determination of coordinates, security, and the Internet. And many more things people will come up with for space technologists to serve for the good of man.
And we will tell you why and what are the most popular ways of using satellite systems today.

Why sometimes only satellite technology can be the only option for development?
When installing land lines, wires are used - fiber-optic or copper, or with wireless technology - cellular networks or radio internet. All these rather costly work always have significant disadvantages:

• limiting the coverage of the territory. Any transmitter or receiver of a signal has a certain area of ​​work, which depends on the power and terrain of the area;
• issues of network modernization always relate to technical capabilities and the feasibility of spending financial resources;
• it is often impossible to quickly dismantle the equipment and deploy the station to a new location.

And in some cases, the most justified in a technical and financial sense to ensure reliable and high-quality communication is the use of satellite systems.

Satellites will always find us

Without satellite technology, we would never be able to find each other on our large planet.
The global coordinate system allows you to accurately determine the location of objects (longitude, latitude, and even height above sea level), as well as the direction of movement and speed of this object.
The famous American GPS (Global Positioning System) system includes 24 artificial satellites, a wide network of ground stations that have unlimited connectivity to user terminals.
GPS - the system works continuously. Anyone on the planet can use it, you just need to purchase a GPS navigator. Manufacturers offer portable, automotive, aviation, marine models. Search work and rescue operations in no country in the world are complete without the help of GPS.

Not so long ago, Russia deployed its GLONASS navigation system, similar to the American one, and with the same level of positioning accuracy.
Both systems are completely available and free.

Satellites guard us

This is especially true in the automotive industry. The main security system is successfully combined with satellite communication channels, GPS system and traditional radar methods.
How do satellite security systems work?
The central unit with security sensors is discreetly installed on the car. In the event of an emergency, the signal from the central unit is transmitted via communication channels to the owner or dispatcher. The GPS system helps to track the route, location, driving mode in real time.

Satellites entertain us

The most relevant and well-known topic is satellite TV. But we are already so used to the plates in our houses that we practically do not notice it. But only three devices: an antenna, a receiver, a converter give us extraordinary pleasure from watching our favorite TV programs.
The difference from a traditional television antenna is that instead of a tower, a satellite appears and transmits a digital signal. This results in a large selection of channels and image quality.

Satellites connect us with friends

The most widespread and well-known global satellite communication systems (GSSS): Globalstar, Inmarsat, Iridium, Thuraya. At the very beginning of their creation, it was assumed that these systems would organize mobile and fixed telephony where there were no communication lines. In the further development, new opportunities appeared: access to the Internet, transfer of information in various formats. And GSSS became multi-service.
If you describe the operation of these systems in a nutshell, it will turn out like this.
The satellite receives the subscriber's signal and transmits it to the nearest station on Earth. The station determines the signal, chooses a route and sends it over terrestrial networks or a satellite channel to the point of reception.
The difference between global satellite communication systems is in the cost of traffic, the size and cost of subscriber terminals, coverage areas, as well as in the technical features of the concept of the system itself.

Satellites help us live comfortably

The Very Small Aperture Terminal - VSAT satellite system is actively developing. This system is the basis for the designer: you can add equipment and get access to the Internet, other equipment - and the local networks of users in different territories are already united. And you can also collect data, reserve communication channels, manage various production processes, organize remote video and audio conferencing.
Such a system is easy to deploy and get started. The quality of communication, ease of content and use have already been appreciated by financial institutions, retail chains, and large industrial enterprises.

The VSAT-based network consists of a central control station (NCC), subscriber terminals and a relay satellite.
With further development, all systems will inevitably become more accessible, cheaper, more convenient and easier to manage and understand the ongoing processes of assimilation of our everyday life with satellite technologies.

Now, dreamily looking at the night sky and seeing a moving star, you will think that they, satellites, make life much easier and diversified. And that's great.