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Satellites: History, Types and How to View Them
A satellite is a manmade device meant to gather information and transmit data back to Earth as it circles the Earth, other planets or the sun. Because the moon and other celestial bodies that orbit planets are sometimes referred to as natural satellites, the manmade variety of satellites may also be called artificial satellites.

A Brief History of Satellites
While science fiction stories have been speculating about artificial space satellites since the late 1800s, the first intellectual look at these space objects came in 1903 with Konstantin Tsiolkovsky's book "The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices." In this academic work, Tsiolkovsky worked out a number of calculations and logistics about how satellites and other space vehicles could realistically fly and operate in space.

Decades later in 1945, Arthur Clarke wrote an article for the Wireless World in which he described how satellites could be used as international communication devices.

Satellites: History, Types and How to View Them
 
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Dictionary
Every topic has its own special lexicon. Therefore, to simplify understanding of the subject we’ve included a dictionary with definitions of the more arcane words used in this site. Click here to explore the satellite dictionary.

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Objects in Orbit
Getting an object in orbit requires it to be launched into space. Satellites and the International Space Station (ISS) are some of the many objects currently in orbit.

Observing Satellites
To the human eye, satellites in orbit generally look like larger stars. Telescopes aren't necessarily needed when observing satellites in space.

 
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