Polar Orbit Scanner

In the picture

1. 1Satellite with solar panels and a downward-facing sensor
2. 2Orbit path crossing both poles in a loop around Earth
3. 3Narrow scanning strip passing over continents and oceans

Examples

• Satellite images used in weather forecasts
• Maps that show coastlines and islands

Quiz: Polar Orbit Scanner (Age 11)

1. 1

   Which statement describes the orbit of a polar-orbiting satellite?

   • It circles only the North Pole and never reaches the South Pole.
   • It stays above the equator and never crosses the poles.
   • It passes near both the North Pole and the South Pole on each orbit.
2. 2

   What does a polar-orbiting satellite scan as it moves around Earth?

   • One complete image of Earth all at once
   • Only the land, never the ocean
   • Narrow strips of land and ocean
3. 3

   What do polar-orbiting satellites help people make by scanning the globe in narrow strips?

   • Maps that show only the oceans
   • Maps of land and oceans
   • Maps of only the North Pole

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This lesson has left the free week, so its quiz is part of the subscription.