>Is the following correct: >The line-of-nodes is a point on the Earth surface at an inclination of 0d >where a satellite's orbital path intersects the equator. No. the line-of-nodes is a line defined in inertial space, connecting the points where the orbit crosses the earth's equatorial plane. >For a prograde >orbit, as the low-altitude satellite approaches the equator, the small >(but definite) equatorial bulge of the Earth pulls on the satellite, >causing the satellite's flight path to intersect the equator at a >slightly earlier time (i.e., further west than without the equatorial >bulge). This is not correct. The bulge of the earth causes the orbital plane of the satellite to rotate in inertial space, similar to the precession of a spinning top. This effect does *not* reffer to the longitude of the crossing of earth's equator and has nothing to do with the orbital period of the satellite. Rainer ----------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe from SeeSat-L by sending a message with 'unsubscribe' in the SUBJECT to SeeSat-L-request@lists.satellite.eu.org http://www.satellite.eu.org/seesat/seesatindex.html
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