Astronomers use telescopes, satellites, space probes, and spectroscopes to make observations and collect data about objects inside the solar system and outside the solar system. These tools and the associated technology that allow astronomers to analyze and interpret the data help scientists learn about the Solar system and about the Universe.
SatellitesSatellites are placed in orbit around Earth with special instruments and telescopes that collect information from space. The information is sent back to Earth where it is interpreted.
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What Are Satellites Used For?
Satellites are launched into space and designed specifically to fulfill a particular function.
- Television - Satellites send television signals directly to homes, but they also are the backbone of cable and network TV.
- Cell phones - Satellites also provide the primary timing source for cell phones.
- Navigation - Satellite-based navigation systems like global positioning systems (GPS) enable anyone with a receiver to determine their location to within a few meters.
- Weather - Satellites provide meteorologists with the ability to see weather on a global scale, allowing them to follow the effects of volcanic eruptions and the development of large systems like hurricanes.
- Climate and environmental monitoring - Satellites are some of the best sources of data for climate change research. Satellites monitor ocean temperatures and prevailing currents; data gained by satellite were able to show sea levels have been rising by three millimeters a year over the last decade. Imaging satellites can measure the changing sizes of glaciers, which is difficult to do from the ground due to the remoteness and darkness of the polar regions. Satellites can determine long-term patterns of rainfall, vegetation cover, and emissions of greenhouse gases.
- Space science - Before the Space Age, scientists were limited to studying the Universe by ground-based telescopes, that could only gather limited information from the parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that penetrated the Earth's atmosphere. Many of the most interesting phenomena are best studied at frequencies that are best or only accessible from space—satellite telescopes have been critical to understanding phenomena like pulsars and black holes as well as measuring the age of the Universe. The Hubble Space Telescope is arguably the most valuable space tool ever built!
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Topic Tips
Satellites are placed in orbit around Earth with special instruments and telescopes that collect information from space. The information is sent back to Earth where it is interpreted.