Like distance from the Earth. And do some of them “sit” in one place, like always over North America?

  • AbouBenAdhem@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    Others have mentioned geosynchronous satellites as examples that can just sit in one place, but they can only do so over the equator—not directly over North America as per your question. (They would still be visible from North America, bu they would appear to the south instead of directly overhead.) Geosynchronous orbits can be inclined relative to the earth’s axis, in which case they could pass directly over North America; but they would have to spend an equal amount of time over the southern hemisphere (without moving significantly east or west).