Does a Geo-Synchronous Satellite Catch a Shadow?

[ucmassahana]

If a geo-synchoronise satelite(which has the same time period as that of the earth) comes in a straight line with the Sun. Does it catch the shadow on the earth? If not why?

 

[OlderDan]

If a geo-synchoronise satelite(which has the same time period as that of the earth) comes in a straight line with the Sun. Does it catch the shadow on the earth? If not why?

Do a search on google for umbra and penumbra

 

[carlos_dfc]

Basically, it is too small.

Even the Moon, doesn't always cause a full eclipse - sometimes it is just slightly too far away (It's orbit isn't a perfect circle), and some sunlight gets round the edges.

The Sun is about half a degree across - so the rays of light from each limb (side) as we look at it, are not parallel - they are converging (from our viewpoint) at an angle of about half a degree.

So if you do the maths:-
For a 2 metre wide satellite...
Right angle triangle - quarter of a degree angle - 1 metre 'opposite' side (half the width of the satellite)
Tangent of 0.25 degrees = one metre / adjacent side (distance behind satellite where light rays will converge

0.00436 = 1 / adj
adj = 1 / 0.00436
adj = 229.3 metres

So you'd need to be within 229 metres of the satellite to get a proper umbral shadow.

Obviously - different satellites will be different sizes to the one in my example - so some will throw a shadow quite a bit more than 229m.
However - satellites are AT LEAST tens of miles up, many are hundreds of miles above the surface - so even the largest ones won't throw a shadow anywhere near far enough for it to be seen on the ground.

 

[russ_watters]

Well, here's what it looks like with a telescope and a solar filter... http://www.badastronomy.com/bablog/2006/09/20/shuttle-and-iss-transit-the-sun/