Orbit Collection (#33)

Planetary alignment, artwork
Planetary alignment, computer artwork

Californian wild fires. Satellite image of the wild fires that raged in California, USA, in late October 2003. Huge plumes of smoke are seen being blown out over the Pacific Ocean

Jetstream clouds seen over north-western Libya. The jetstreams are high-altitude, fast-moving air currents that are a few thousand kilometres long

Orbit of the Earth. Historical artwork showing the Earth revolving around the Sun. The Earth takes around 365 days to complete a full orbit of the Sun

Californian wild fires, 2003
Californian wild fires. Smoke clouds from the wild fires that raged in California, USA, in late October 2003. This image was taken from the International Space Station

Great Lakes from space
Great Lakes on the USA/Canada border, seen from space. The Great Lakes cover an area of almost 250, 000 square kilometres, making them the largest expanse of fresh water in the world

John Glenns Mercury spacesuit on display at the National Air & Space Museum, Washington DC. Glenn was the first American to reach Earth orbit, in the Mercury MA-6 capsule, on 20 February 1962

Leonids meteor shower, 19th century
Leonids meteor shower. The Earth is shown crossing the path of the debris that forms the Leonid meteor shower. This occurs annually for about 2 days around mid-November when the Earth crosses

Agriculture and mining, from space. Large square agricultural fields are seen by strongly coloured deposits and pools formed by mining activities

City lights of Buenos Aires, Argentinas capital city, from space. North is at upper left. Across top are the unlit waters of the River Plate

Solar system, historical artwork
Solar systems of Copernicus, Tycho Brahe and Descartes 1783. Orbits of the planets by Copernicus; and of the Sun by Tycho Brahe

Comet Hale-Bopp 1997 C011 / 1168
Comet Hale-Bopp. This was one of the brightest comets of the 20th Century, when it made its closest approach to Earth. It was visible during the first half of 1997

Comet, historical image
Head of the Comet of 1961. The rotating core produced shell-like figures with some bright spots which are larger ice bolders leaving the comet service we know today

Comet Hale-Bopp 1997 C011 / 1169
Comet Hale-Bopp. This was one of the brightest comets of the 20th Century, when it made its closest approach to Earth. It was visible during the first half of 1997

Biblical symbolism, 17th century
Biblical symbolism. 17th-century woodcut text and diagram showing the orbit of the clock of the Sun and the Moon, with a heavenly hand (Christ, upper right) holding a compass to the circles

Alien moons, artwork
Alien moons. Computer artwork of the view across an alien moon that is on a collision course with another moon. A gas giant planet is in the background

Asteroid approaching an alien moon
A Earthlike planet, to be seen in the background, built a planet-moon-system over several billion years. An asteroid encounters this system and will collide on the red moon

Earth. Conceptual computer artwork of the Earth with swirls of gold light

Lithium atoms, computer artwork
Computer artwork of seven lithium atoms with their nucleus and the three orbiting electrons

Earth. Conceptual computer artwork of the Earth surrounded by swirls of blue light

Moon and Earth
Earth and Moon, composite image. The Moon orbits Earth at a distance of around 384, 000 kilometres. At 3400 kilometres in diameter, it is roughly a third of the size of the Earth

Earths rotation, artwork
Earths rotation. Computer artwork of the Earth, showing its rotation and the apparent movement of the Moon, Sun and planets in relation to it

Geostationary orbit diagram

Polar orbit diagram

Satellite launch sequence diagram. This sequence shows a telecommunications satellite being launched from the equator into geostationary orbit (yellow circle)

Earth and the Moon from space
It is said that the Moon has a great influences not only on human beings - on plants, on animals, especially birds. We can watch the phases of the Moon without a telescope

Von Brauns Mars Project, 1952
This classic on space travel was first published in 1953, when interplanetary space flight was considered science fiction by most of those who considered it at all

In-orbit medical report. Medical report used in the Soviet space programme: first in 1976 by cosmonaut Vyacheslav Zudov on the Soyuz 23 mission

Solar system, 18th century engraving
Solar System. Engraved plate form the 18th century depicting the Solar System. At the centre is the Sun, with the terrestrial planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars) close by

Russian Molniya1 communications satellite
Molniya 1 communications satellite. A Molniya-1 military communications satellite seen during assembly. Molniya-1 was the first attempt by the Soviet Union to provide satellite-based communications

Rocket carrying Indias first satellite
Indias first satellite. The nose of the launcher rocket carrying Aryabhata, Indias first satellite. Aryabhata was a 1.4 metre diameter satellite

TSS-1 tethered satellite, artwork
TSS-1 tethered satellite. Artwork showing the tethered satellite system (TSS-1) deployed from the Space Shuttle Atlantis during mission STS-46 in 1992

Alien gas giant planet, artwork
Alien gas giant planet. Artwork of a view from above a moon orbiting an alien gas giant planet (upper centre) that is orbiting very close to its parent star

Earthlike alien planet, artwork
Earthlike alien planet. Artwork of the view from above the surface of a moon orbiting an Earthlike alien planet (upper right)

Earthlike planet in Orion Nebula, artwork. A small moon is at upper left, and the surface of another moon is at lower left

Molniya launcher on launch pad
Molniya launcher. View across trees toward a Molniya launcher on its pad at the Plesetsk cosmodrome, Russia. Molniya launchers are made by combining a Soyuz first

Molniya military communication satellite
Molniya 1 communications satellite. Artwork depicting a Molniya-1 military communications satellite in its orbital configuration

Earthlike moons of a gas giant, artwork
Earthlike moons of a gas giant. Artwork of three Earthlike moons (one at upper right, two more at lower left) orbiting an alien gas giant planet

Lithium, atomic model. Lithium has three neutrons (white) and three protons (pink) in its nucleus (centre). The atom also has three electron (blue) orbiting the nucleus

Deuterium, atomic model
Deuterium. Atomic model of deuterium, also known as heavy hydrogen, an isotope of hydrogen. Isotopes are forms of an element that contain different numbers of neutrons in the atomic nucleus (centre)

Earth and Moon space-time warp, artwork
Earth and Moon space-time warp. Artwork of the Earth (lower left) and the Moon (upper right) on a grid representing space-time

Gherman Titov, Soviet postcard. Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov (1935-2000) was the second person to orbit the Earth. Launched in the Vostok 2 spacecraft

Sunset from Earth orbit, seen from the International Space Station (ISS). The glow of the setting Sun is lighting up the atmosphere (blue)

Gagarins orbit in Vostok 1, 1961
Gagarins orbit in Vostok 1. Orbital flightpath (red, on a map of the Earth) of the Vostok 1 spacecraft (upper left, call sign KEDR) that carried Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934-1968)

Galileo navigation satellite, artwork
Galileo navigation satellites. Artwork of navigation satellites for the European Galileo satellite navigation network in orbit about the Earth

Gagarins return to Earth, 1961
Yuri Alekseyevich 9 March 1934 Ôé¼" 27 March 1968), Hero of the Soviet Union, was a Soviet cosmonaut. On 12 April 1961, he became the first human in outer space and the first to orbit the Earth

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"Exploring the Vastness of Orbit: A Journey through Space and Time" The Solar System Planets: Witness the mesmerizing dance of celestial bodies as they gracefully orbit around our radiant Sun. International Space Station, 2008: Behold a marvel of human ingenuity, floating effortlessly in Earth's orbit, serving as a symbol of international cooperation and scientific exploration. Jupiter from Europa, Artwork: Immerse yourself in an artist's rendition of Jupiter's majestic presence as seen from its moon Europa – a breathtaking view that sparks wonder and curiosity. Epicycles of Mercury and Venus, 1823 C017 / 8061: Delve into the intricate paths traced by Mercury and Venus throughout history – unraveling ancient astronomers' attempts to understand their complex orbital patterns. Skylab in Orbit above Earth at the End of Its Mission, 1974: Marvel at NASA's pioneering space station – Skylab – suspended high above our planet during its final moments before reentry, leaving behind an indelible mark on space exploration history. Cassini spacecraft Orbiting Saturn and Its Moon Titan: Embark on a cosmic journey alongside Cassini as it navigates Saturn's rings while capturing awe-inspiring images of its enigmatic moon Titan - revealing secrets hidden within this distant realm. Nuclear Fission Artwork: Explore the intersection between science and art with captivating visuals depicting nuclear fission - showcasing humanity's quest for knowledge even beyond Earthly boundaries. Total Eclipse of the Sun Seen from Earth’s Orbit: Experience an extraordinary event witnessed only by those fortunate enough to be in Earth’s orbit - a total eclipse casting ethereal shadows across our planet’s surface, reminding us of nature’s grand spectacle. Copernicus vs Ptolemy - A Celestial Debate Unveiled.