at Scienceworks
December 2007 – November 2008
Scienceworks
2 Booker Street Spotswood, Victoria, 3015
Bookings: telephone (03) 9392 4819 between 9.00am and 4.30pm weekdays
Website: http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Contents
Teacher notes
Curriculum links
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
VELS links for activities
The exhibition
Exhibition floor plan
Page
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Resources
Background information
Website
Glossary
11
11
13
14
School based activities
Satellites – what are they?
Activity 1: Think, pair, share brainstorming
Activity 2: Write on the reading
Launching satellites into orbit
Activity 3: Satellites in orbit
Activity 4: The Great Space Race
Activity 5: Satellite maths
Activity 6: Crash testing satellites!
What information can satellites tell us?
Activity 7: What happened in Victoria
Activity 8: Cyclone tracking in Australia
Activity 9: Geospatial skills and Google Earth
How does information from satellites get to us on
Earth?
Activity 10: Bit by bit – the binary system
Investigating the issues of satellite technology
Activity 11: The Great Space Debate
Student pathways
Primary pathway
Secondary pathway
1
1-2
3-4
5
6
7
8-9
10-11
12
13-14
15-16
17-18
19
19-21
22
22-23
Pdf
Pdf
Acknowledgements
The Eyes on Earth exhibition was built by Scienceworks under licence from the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), USA.
The Virtual Room was developed by Museum Victoria.
This education kit contains materials developed by Priscilla Gaff and Christina Hall at
Scienceworks and staff at OMSI. Teachers may copy these material for classroom use.
© Museum Victoria 2007
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Teacher Notes
Teacher notes
Eyes on Earth is an interactive science and technology exhibition that introduces a range
of physical science concepts related to satellite technology to a broad student audience.
These education materials provide teachers with resources to plan a successful class
visit to the Eyes on Earth exhibition at Scienceworks. They include descriptions of the
Eyes on Earth exhibits and an exhibition floor plan. Suggested classroom activities for
use before or after the excursion complement the interactive exhibits and will contribute
to a student learning experience that is both educational and enjoyable.
This education kit includes Pathways A and B for students to use in the exhibition and/or
a group Research Activity designed to support the Victorian Essential Learning
Standards (VELS) outcomes. VELS curriculum links are also listed for school based
activities.
Please note:
• Eyes on Earth is at Scienceworks until 23 November 2008.
The museum is open from 10.00am until 4.30pm daily.
•
School groups will be booked into the Eyes on Earth exhibition for 60 minutes.
Students should work in small groups to facilitate their access to interactive
exhibits and to avoid crowding.
Bookings are essential; telephone 03 9392 4819 between 8:30am and 5pm weekdays.
For details of our education programs and other resources, visit:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
MVTeachers
We recommend that teachers familiarise themselves with Scienceworks and the
exhibition prior to the excursion if possible. Teachers who subscribe to MVTeachers can
visit Scienceworks and other Museum Victoria museums for purposes of excursion
planning at any time without charge.
Join online:
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Education/MVteachers/
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Essential preparation
Essential preparation
“Creating interest in the subject of an exhibition is
vital to a successful and enjoyable museum experience.”
Research has shown that setting clear objectives for a museum visit and discussing
them with students is extremely important. It makes the purpose of the visit clear and
assists students to focus and work together during the visit.
Creating interest in the subject of an exhibition is vital to a successful and enjoyable
museum experience. Prior to your visit to Scienceworks, take some time in class to
discuss your excursion and to assess your students’ knowledge and understanding of
the subject. The information in this kit should be used as a basis for discussing the
exhibits in Eyes on Earth.
Please check your confirmation letter to ensure that the details of your excursion
booking are correct. If there is a problem with your booking, please contact the
Scienceworks Booking Office: 03 9392 4819.
Before your excursion:
• Photocopy the Scienceworks site map provided on your yellow confirmation
letter, and discuss with your students what they will be doing on their visit.
Ask them to locate toilets and the amphitheatre (covered lunch space), as well as
the exhibition galleries and location of any show that they are booked into.
•
Photocopy the Eyes on Earth Exhibition floor plan in this kit and discuss the
exhibits with your students. The Background information section of this kit
contains detailed descriptions of each exhibit and the science that it
demonstrates.
•
Review the School based activities section of this kit to select activities that are
suitable for your students. Do several activities with the class before the
excursion and several in the days after your visit. You may adapt activities to
ensure that they are appropriate for your students.
•
Two student ‘pathways’ are provided for use in the exhibition. Pathway A is
suitable for many Primary level students, while Pathway B is suitable for most
Secondary level students. The pathways can be adapted, shortened or split into
sections as appropriate. Make a copy of the chosen pathway and discuss it with
your students before your visit.
The Pathways are written ‘trails’ that assist students’ thinking and questioning
while in the exhibition. They also provide space for students to record information
about their experiences in, and thoughts of, the exhibition. These records can
then be used for reflection and discussion when back at school.
•
Ensure your class is assigned into work groups before you arrive at
Scienceworks. Ideally, groups of 3-4 students will be best to avoid crowding
around the exhibits in Eyes on Earth. Discuss with your students in advance how
they will move through the exhibition and what they might see.
•
On the day of the excursion, each work group should bring a clipboard, pencils, a
copy of the exhibition floor plan and a copy of the Pathway that they are using.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Curriculum Links
Curriculum links
The exhibits and themes of the Eyes on Earth exhibition are closely related to the
standards and learning focuses of Levels 3-5 of the Victorian Essential Learning
Standards (VELS).
VELS Level 3
Physical, Personal &
Social Learning
Domain
v
Interpersonal
Development
☺
Personal
Learning
Discipline-based Learning
ß
Science
Working in teams
• cooperate with others in teams for agreed purposes, taking roles and following
guidelines established within the task.
• describe and evaluate their own contribution and the team’s progress towards the
achievement of agreed goals.
Managing personal learning
• students set short-term, achievable goals in relation to specific tasks.
• complete short tasks by planning and allocating appropriate time and resources.
• demonstrate a positive attitude towards their learning.
Science knowledge and understanding
• identify the actions of forces in everyday situations. They use the words push and
pull in discussing how things can be moved and stopped.
• use appropriate scientific vocabulary to describe and explain their observations and
investigations.
• describe natural physical and biological conditions, and human influences in the
environment, which affect the survival of living things.
• describe the relationship between day and night and the rotation of the Earth.
• explain how features of the landscape are altered by processes of weathering and
erosion.
Science at work
• select and use simple measuring equipment, use a range of appropriate methods to
record observations, and comment on trends.
• explain how scientific knowledge is used, or could be used, to solve a social issue or
problem. Describe aspects of the work of scientists and how this has contributed to
science knowledge.
¿
Geography
Interdisciplinary Learning
Dimension & Standard
ICT
@
Thinking
Humanities knowledge and understandings
• describe how aspects of places in their local area have changed over time.
• from direct observations, they describe the physical characteristics of their local
area, and Victoria.
ICT for communicating
• students initiate and compose email messages to known and unknown audiences
and, where appropriate, send replies.
• locate information on an intranet, and locate information from websites.
Reflection, evaluation and metacognition
• students identify strategies they use to organise their ideas, and use appropriate
language to explain their thinking.
• identify and provide reasons for their point of view, and justify changes in their
thinking.
Reasoning, processing and inquiry
• collect information from a range of sources.
• question the validity of sources when appropriate.
• apply thinking strategies to organise information and concepts in a variety of
contexts, including problem solving activities.
• provide reasons for their conclusions.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Curriculum Links
VELS Level 4
Physical, Personal and
Social Learning
Domain
v
Interpersonal
Development
☺
Personal
Learning
ß
Discipline-based Learning
Science
Dimension & Standard
Working in teams
• work effectively in different teams and take on a variety of roles to complete tasks of
varying length and complexity.
• work cooperatively to allocate tasks and develop timelines.
• accept responsibility for their role and tasks.
Managing personal learning
• undertake some set tasks independently, identifying stages for completion.
• describe task progress and achievements, suggesting how outcomes may have
been improved.
• seek and use learning support when needed from peers, teachers and other adults.
• demonstrate a positive attitude to learning within and outside the classroom.
Science knowledge and understanding
• qualitatively describe changes in motion in terms of the forces present.
• use everyday examples to illustrate the transforming and transferring of energy.
• apply the terms relationships, models and systems appropriately as ways of
representing complex structures.
• explain how the Earth and the Moon operate as a simple system within the larger
solar system.
• explain the function of the layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.
Science at work
• analyse a range of science-related local issues and describe the relevance of
science to their own and other people’s lives.
• design and build simple models and write an account of the science that is central to
explanation of the model.
• approach data collection systematically, and analyse data qualitatively in terms of
errors of measurement.
• use the terms relationships and cause and effect when discussing and drawing
conclusions from the data they collect.
Humanities
¿
Geography
Geographic knowledge and understanding
• compare the various ways humans have used and affected the Australian
environment.
• use geographic language to identify and describe the human and physical
characteristics of local and global environments depicted by different kinds of maps,
diagrams, photographs and satellite images.
Interdisciplinary
Learning
Geospatial skills
• identify features from maps, satellite images, and oblique photographs.
ICT
@
Thinking
ICT for communicating
• use email, websites and frequently asked questions facilities to acquire from, or
share information with, peers and known and unknown experts.
• successfully upload their work to a protected public online space.
• evaluate the integrity of the located information based on its accuracy and the
reliability of the web host.
Reflection, evaluation & metacognition
• articulate their thinking processes.
• document changes in their ideas and beliefs over time.
Reasoning, processing and inquiry
• use the information they collect to develop concepts, solve problems or inform
decision making.
• develop reasoned arguments using supporting evidence.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Curriculum Links
VELS Level 5
Physical, Personal
and Social Learning
Domain
v
Interpersonal
Development
☺
Personal
Learning
ß
Discipline-based Learning
Science
Humanities
¿
Interdisciplinary
Learning
Geography
ICT
@
Thinking
Dimension & Standard
Working in teams
• accept responsibility as a team member and support other members to share
information, explore the ideas of others, and work cooperatively to achieve a shared
purpose within a realistic timeframe.
• reflect on individual and team outcomes and act to improve their own and the team’s
performance.
Managing personal learning
• complete competing short, extended and group tasks within set timeframes, prioritising
their available time, utilising appropriate resources and demonstrating motivation.
• demonstrate a positive and structured approach to learning, identifying and using
effective strategies that assist with study, both at school and at home.
Science knowledge and understanding
• explain the relationships, past and present, in living and non-living systems, and
human impact on these systems.
• use everyday examples of machines, tools and appliances to show how the
thermodynamic model describes energy and change, and force and motion.
• use time scales to explain the changing Earth and its place in space.
• use physical and theoretical models to investigate geological processes.
Science at work
• make systematic observations and interpret recorded data appropriately, according to
the aims of the study.
• make and use models and images from computer software to interpret and explain
observations.
• use simulations to predict the effect of changes in an ecosystem.
• identify, analyse and ask their own questions in relation to scientific ideas or issues of
interest.
Geographic knowledge and understanding
• identify and describe Australia’s significant natural processes.
• recommend ways of protecting environmentally sensitive areas in a sustainable way.
• provide examples and evidence based on their inquiries.
• use geographic language to identify and describe the human and physical
characteristics of local and global environments depicted by different kinds of maps,
diagrams, photographs and satellite images.
Geospatial skills
• identify features from maps, satellite images, and oblique photographs.
• analysis of information from a range of geographic data to form a conclusion.
ICT for communicating
• use complex search strategies to refine their searches.
• judge the integrity of the located information.
• share their ideas through their blog, website or other public forums, which are correctly
formatted, comply with ICT conventions and demonstrate an awareness of the
characteristics that contribute to products meeting their purpose.
Reflection, evaluation & metacognition
• modify and evaluate their thinking strategies.
• describe and explain changes that may occur in their ideas and beliefs over time.
Reasoning, processing and inquiry
• use a range of question types, and locate and select relevant information from varied
sources when undertaking investigations.
• use a range of appropriate strategies of reasoning and analysis to evaluate evidence
and consider their own and others’ points of view.
• complete activities focusing on problem solving and decision making which involve an
increasing number of variables and solutions.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Curriculum Links
Possible VELS links for activities
School based activity
VELS Links
1: Think, pair, share
brainstorming
Science: Science knowledge and understanding
Thinking: Reflecting, evaluation and metacognition
Interpersonal development: Working in teams
2: Write on the reading
3: Satellites in orbit
4: The Great Satellite Race
5: Satellite maths
6: Crash testing satellites!
7: What happened in
Victoria
8: Cyclone Tracking in
Australia
9: Geospatial skills –
Google Earth!
10: Bit by bit – the binary
system
11: The Great Space
Debate
Science: Science knowledge and understanding
Thinking: Reflecting, evaluation and metacognition
English: Reading
Science: Science knowledge and understanding
ICT: ICT for communicating
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Science: Science knowledge and understanding
Science: Science at work
Interpersonal development: Working in teams
Science: Science at work
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Mathematics: Working mathematically
Science: Science at work
Interpersonal learning: Working in teams
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Science: Science at work
Geography: Geographic knowledge and understanding
Geography: Geospatial skills
Science: Science at work
Geography: Geographic knowledge and understanding
Geography: Geospatial skills
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Geography: Geospatial skills
ICT: ICT for communicating
Personal Learning: Managing personal learning
Science: Science at work
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Personal learning: Managing personal learning
Science: Science at work
Thinking: Reasoning, processing and inquiry
Personal learning: Managing personal learning
English: Reading, Writing
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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The exhibition
The exhibition
Eyes on Earth is a hands-on exhibition designed to help students understand the ways
in which the Earth is observed from space.
The use of satellites and other tools to intensively study the Earth from space has
increased our understanding of how natural processes affect us, and how we might be
affecting them. Looking down on the Earth enables scientists to improve weather
forecasts, managing our natural environment, monitoring forest fires, floods and
cyclones – to name just a few. Eventually, satellites may give us the ability to predict
how the climate will change in the future! Eyes on Earth explores the fascinating world of
satellites and how they assist us to understand our planet.
Interactive exhibits
Exhibit title
The Bigger The Better
Exhibit message & description
Experiment with telescopes to learn about resolution
Design a Satellite
See how a satellite is put together and experiment with different
sensors.
Earth Today
Investigate some of the NASA data which describes the Earth.
Hot Or Not
Make infrared images using a heat sensor.
Image Gallery
View large format reproductions of spectacular images of the
Earth.
Mission Kiosk
Learn how satellites help us understand our effects on the Earth.
Orbit Table
Roll marbles in a "gravity well" and experiment with different types
of orbits.
Ozone Zone
Discover how ozone blocks harmful ultraviolet light from the sun.
Pixel Story
Use giant pin boards to discover how imaging systems capture
detail.
Satellite Puzzles
For younger space adventurers.
TOPEX
Jason-1 Radar Altimeter
Measure your height as a satellite passes overhead.
What Goes Around:
Near & Far
Observe the Earth from low and high orbits and see the difference
that distance makes
What Goes Around:
Far Satellite
Become a geosynchronous weather satellite and orbit the Earth at
an altitude of 35 400 km.
What Goes Around:
Near Satellite
Simulate being a low-Earth-orbit satellite.
Virtual Reality Room
A three minute 3D video show about satellites and how they view
the Earth.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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The exhibition
Exhibition floor plan
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Resources
Resources
Background information
Since the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in
1958, one of its roles has been the study of Earth and its changing environment—by
observing the atmosphere, oceans, land, ice, snow, weather and climate. Exploring how
the Earth's systems of air, land, water, and life interact with each other is the key to a
better understanding of the global environment. This approach blends together fields such
as meteorology, oceanography, biology, and atmospheric science.
In 1991, NASA launched a comprehensive program to study the Earth as an
environmental system. Using satellites and other tools to intensively study the
Earth has expanded our understanding of how natural processes affect us, and how we
might be affecting them. Key areas of study include clouds, water and energy cycles,
oceans, chemistry of the atmosphere, land surface, water and ecosystem processes,
glaciers and polar ice sheets, and the solid surface. Such studies will yield improved
weather forecasts, tools for managing agriculture and forests, information for fishermen
and local planners, and, eventually, the ability to predict how the climate will change in the
future. NASA's fleet of satellites tasked with this study is called the Earth Observing
System (EOS).
Just as the first weather and communications satellites fundamentally changed our way of
thinking about those fields, so will EOS expand our perspective of the global environment
and climate, so as to benefit of all humanity.
About orbits
An orbit is the curved path a satellite takes moving around a larger object. NASA has sent
spacecraft to become satellites in orbit around the sun or planets, such as Mars and
Jupiter. (In scientific terms, an orbit is the path of a body in motion around a central body
exerting a centripetal force on the moving body.) A satellite is any smaller object traveling
in orbit around a larger object, e.g. Earth is a satellite of the Sun and the Moon is a
satellite of Earth.
EOS satellites orbit our planet, Earth. The Eyes on Earth exhibition has several exhibits
designed to help people understand different types of EOS orbits.
1. Many satellites orbit the Earth just a few hundred kilometers above the surface—these
are called low-Earth or near-Earth orbits. The closer the orbit of a satellite is to the Earth,
the less time it needs to go around once. Near-Earth satellites typically orbit once in about
1½ to 2 hours.
Near-Earth satellites have two advantages:
• They orbit quickly and observe many parts of the Earth in a day
• They can see more detail than a satellite far away because they are close to the
Earth.
Satellites are also in orbits farther away from Earth. One special orbit is found about
35,400 km above the Earth's surface. That far away, a satellite takes 24 hours to orbit
once. Because a satellite in this orbit goes around in the same time it takes the Earth to
turn once, the satellite stays above one spot on Earth. These are called geostationary
satellites. The value of a geostationary satellite is that it sees the same part of the Earth,
all the time. Weather and communication satellites are the primary type of satellite in
geostationary orbits.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Resources
Websites
The following list summaries the primary EOS missions and satellites, and their
associated websites with activities for students about observing the Earth from space.
Earth Observing System (EOS)
http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/
EOS website includes a brief overview from NASA.
Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS)
http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/
TOMS satellites are used to measure ozone levels, details included on this website.
Landsat
http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/
The long-term project for imaging of the Earth by satellites.
TOPEX
http://topex-www.jpl.nasa.gov/
Ocean surface topography from space, as measured by TOPEX/Poseidon and Jason.
Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT)
http://winds.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm
QuikSCAT and SeaWinds on QuikSCAT—using radar to measure.ocean winds.
Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)
http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov/
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/TRMM/
This mission measures rainfall on Earth by using satellites in space.
Terra
http://terra.nasa.gov
A series of Earth observing missions using satellites, including::
ASTER: Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer
http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/
ASTER obtains high-resolution images of the Earth in the visible, near-infrared, shortwave-infrared, and thermal-infrared regions of the spectrum.
CERES: Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System
http://science.larc.nasa.gov/ceres/
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_set.php?sensorName=ceres
CERES measures the Earth's radiation balance and determines properties of clouds to
find out how they soak up solar heat, transmit it to the ground and back to space.
MISR: Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer
http://www-misr.jpl.nasa.gov/
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_set.php?sensorName=misr
MISR studies sunlight reflected from the Earth.
MODIS: Moderate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer
http://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_set.php?sensorName=modis
MODIS is used for making observations of land and ocean surface temperature, land
surface cover, clouds, aerosols, water vapor, temperature profiles, and fires.
MOPITT: Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere
http://terra.nasa.gov/About/MOPITT/about_mopitt.html
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_set.php?sensorName=mopitt
MOPITT is an instrument designed to specifically focus is on the distribution,
movement, sources, and sinks of carbon monoxide and methane in the troposphere.
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Resources
More Websites
At these sites you can find activities suitable for use in the classroom, which extend
students’ experiences of the Eyes on Earth exhibits.
NASA Earth Observatory http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/
Contains new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet
NASA Earth Observing System Educator Site http://eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Includes educational links, educational publications from the EOS program, and
explanations of the program and terminology used
NASA Education http://education.nasa.gov/home/index.html
NASA’s elementary, secondary, higher, and informal education web site for students and
educators
NASA Scientific Visualization Studio http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Facilitates scientific inquiry and outreach within NASA programs through visualization
NASA Visible Earth http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/
A catalogue of NASA images and animations of our home planet
NASA Kids http://www.nasakids.com/
Great information and activities for younger children
NASA Echo the Bat and Amelia the Pigeon http://imagers.gsfc.nasa.gov/l
Online activity introduces remote sensing and includes links to teacher resources
Australian Centre for Remote Sensing (ACRES) http://www.ga.gov.au/acres/
The home page of ACRES is Australia's principal earth resource satellite ground station
and data processing facility.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/satellite/
The Bureau collects and uses data from satellites in the World Meteorological
Organization's World Weather Watch system.
http://museumvictoria.com.au/Scienceworks/Education/
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Glossary
Glossary
EOS:
Earth Observing System
Geostationary:
a special orbit at an altitude of about 35 400 km above the Earth's
surface, which takes a satellite 24 hours to travel around once—
therefore the satellite stays above the same spot on the Earth’s
surface.
Gravity:
a force of attraction that is felt between two or more bodies, such
as between the Earth and the Moon.
Moon:
the Earth’s largest natural satellite.
NASA:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (for the USA).
Orbit:
the curved path followed by a planet, a satellite, or a star around a
more massive body.
In scientific terms, an orbit is the path of a body in motion around
a central body exerting a centripetal force on the moving body.
Satellite:
an object that orbits another object; they can be natural or artificial
(man-made). The Earth is a natural satellite of the Sun; the Moon
is a natural satellite of the Earth.
Sputnik 1:
the first successful artificial satellite to have been launched.
Velocity:
the speed of an object in its direction of travel. Defined as the
rate of change of distance moved with time in a specified direction
e.g. a satellite travelling in a circular orbit at constant speed will
have a constantly changing velocity as it constantly changes
the direction its travelling in.
.
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