Classification of Satellites of Planets

The Solar System includes several planets, the moon around these planets, and the Sun. Among the billions of stars in the Milky Way, the Sun is one of the stars. And, any object that rotates around the orbit of a bigger object is commonly known as Satellite. The path of orbits of these bigger planets is either circular or elliptical in nature. 

Satellites are the objects that orbit the Earth, Sun, and most of the celestial bodies. These satellites are categorized into two kinds. They are- Natural Satellites and Man-made Satellites. For instance, Earth has a natural satellite, that is- The Moon. In addition to this, Earth has several man-made satellites like RISAT-2BR1, SPUTNIK, EXPLORER-1, etc.

Presently, Earth has approximately 2500 man-made satellites that orbit around Earth. Each of these satellites of planet Earth was launched with a particular aim. These include- weather forecasting, communications, intelligence, etc. The first satellite was launched by Russia, the then Soviet Union, in 1957. It was the Sputnik. After this initiation, hundreds and thousands more satellites were launched in several orbits of deeper space, moon, and Earth. It must be noted that approximately 10 countries around the world can launch these Man-made Satellites of Planets. 

Now, let us look at the uses of the Satellites in the Milky Way.

Uses

The man-made or artificial Satellites of Planets have several uses. These uses are in several platforms and fields of study. Some of them being- 

• Military Observation
• Civilian Observation 
• Weather Observation
• Research and navigation Observations
• Communication- Television, Radio, Internet waves, etc. 

The orbits of these satellites heavily depend on the purpose of the satellites. Some of these orbits include-

• Polar Orbit
• Low Earth Orbit
• Geostationary Orbit

Types

Satellites based on their uses can be divided into five types- 

• Communications: These satellites can make the connection through radio, television, and telephones. Several numbers of satellites are placed by individual nations and Commercial organizations in orbit for different types of functions including telecommunication. 
• Weather: Satellites are also used for giving out continuous or up-dated pieces of information concerning the atmospheric conditions. These conditions include- temperature, rainfall, cloud cover, etc. These satellites are widely known as Meteorological Satellites. 
• Research: The basic properties of the Galaxy and outer space are seen through the help of Research Satellites. These properties include features of celestial objects, magnetic fields, etc. 
• Application: These satellites are used and designed to examine and test ways for improving the satellites technology of outer space. 
• Navigational: These satellites are primarily developed for navigation. It is used by several organizations and the military to track and locate elements. 

Natural Satellites

There are a total of 171 natural satellites of planets, that orbit around different planets of the solar system. Let us look at the number of satellites on several planets. 

• Mars- There are two natural satellites of Mars. These are Deimos and Phobos. 
• Jupiter- Jupiter has five natural satellites. These are Europa, Lo, Callisto, Ganymede, and Amalthea. 
• Saturn- Saturn has nine natural satellites- Mimas, Rhea, Tethys, Titan, Pheobe, Lapetus, Hyperion, Enceladus, and Dione. 
• Neptune- Neptune has two natural satellites. These are- Triton and Nereid.
• Uranus- There are five natural satellites in Uranus. These are- Ariel, Miranda, Oberon, Umbriel, and Titania. 
• Earth- Earth has only one natural satellite- Moon. 

Let us look at the natural satellite of Earth-Moon. 

Moon

The Moon is the closest celestial body of Earth. It has been known since the prehistoric period. After the Sun, the Moon is the brightest object in the sky. Moon is a spherical and rocky body. The orbit of the Moon is elliptical in nature. It does not have any kind of global magnetic field. The mass distribution of the Moon is not uniform in nature.

The phases of the moon are categorized into several categories. These categorizations of the phases of the moon are New, Waxing crescent, First Quarter, Waxing Gibbous, Full, Waning Gibbous, Last Quarter, and the Waning Crescent Moon. It must be noted that the first quarter moon is also known as the Half Moon. We can see the phases of the moon depending on the portion of the surface of the Moon that is lit by the Sun’s energy and heat. 

Conclusion

Any object that rotates around the orbit of a bigger object is commonly known as Satellite. Satellites are the objects that orbit the Earth, Sun, and most of the colossal body. These satellites are categorized into two kinds. These kinds are- Natural Satellites and Man-made Satellites. One or more satellites of Planets are Natural Satellites. In addition to this, Earth has several man-made satellites. Earth has approximately 2500 man-made satellites that orbit around Earth. Each of these satellites of planet Earth was launched with a particular aim. These include- weather forecasting, communications, intelligence, etc. There are a total of 171 natural satellites of planets, that orbit around different planets of the solar system. The natural satellite of Earth is the Moon. The phases of the moon are categorized into several categories.