Apogee
Apogee is the point in an orbit around Earth where the satellite is farthest from the planet.
Its opposite is perigee, the closest point; together they define the shape and size of an elliptical orbit.
A satellite moves slowest at apogee, in line with Kepler's law that a body sweeps equal areas in equal times.
See it live on Cosmik
Related terms
- Perigee — Perigee is the point in an orbit around Earth where the satellite is closest to the planet.
- HEO — A highly elliptical orbit (HEO) is a stretched, egg-shaped orbit with a low perigee and a very high apogee, letting a satellite linger for hours over one hemisphere.
- Orbital period — The orbital period is the time a satellite takes to complete one full orbit, set almost entirely by its altitude.
