The mathematics describing the appearance of the ground trajectories of geosynchronous satellites is given in terms of vector geometry and orbital mechanics in a form familiar to physics students. The dependence of the trajectories on orbit inclination, eccentricity, and location of perigee is shown. The formalism is also seen to apply to the description of the analemma and to permit prediction of the appearance of the analemma in future epochs.
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© 1987 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1987
American Association of Physics Teachers
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