Definition of Natural Satellites

It is understood by satelite natural any celestial body that orbits around a planet. What pattern Generally, the satellite is smaller than the planet.

Not all natural satellites are the same, because in fact there are solid, shiny, opaque and some of them are large. It should be noted that the planets can have different natural satellites, in such a way that the satellite and the planet are held together through the force of gravitation that acts reciprocally.

Most planets in the Solar system possess at least one natural satellite (Mercury and Venus are the exception to this rule).

Natural satellites of the solar system

Planet Earth has only one satellite, the Moon. Instead, Mars has two, Phobos and Deimos. Jupiter is the fifth planet in the solar system and in its orbit there are a total of 64 satellites (Callisto, Io, Ganymede and Europa are the best known). With respect to Uranus, its satellites are Titania, Ariel, Miranda, Oberón, and Umbriel.

The satellites of Saturn have unique characteristics, since their density is very low, they have intense light and its orbital dynamics is not homogeneous (there are coorbital satellites, shepherds, and Trojans). Around Neptune there are a total of 14 satellites, of which Triton is the largest and was discovered in 1846.

In our galaxy some natural satellites attract the attention of astronomers because of their rarity. Thus, Ganymede has its own magnetic field, Callisto is the one with the largest number of craters, and Epimetheus and Janus revolve around Saturn in the same orbit.

As can be seen, the name of the different celestial bodies is based on Greek and Roman mythology. However, astronomers do not use any mythological denomination but rather try to make a relationship between what the myth represents and the star (For example, Helios represents the Sun, since he was in charge of bringing heat and light to Earth).

In space there are also artificial satellites

Artificial satellites are those created by humans. The first satellite artificial sent into space was Sputnik and was launched in 1957 in the context of the so-called race space between the Soviet Union and the United States. Sputnik had a telecommunications system that emitted radio signals that could be received on Earth.

There are currently about 2,500 satellites in operation and for scientific, military, meteorological or telecommunication-related purposes. In any case, artificial satellites make it possible to establish a communication between two people located anywhere on the planet.

Photos: Fotolia - AnnaPa / Tigatelu