geosynchronous / geostationary

[beermat]

why is apx 36,000Km the orbit for geosynchronous satellites? Isn't any orbit (at the right speed) geosynchronous?

Comments

[jhaelan.livejournal.com]

http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/rocket_sci/satellites/geo-high.html

[beermat]

ahh, it's a gravity thing :)

ta for the link (been there before, forgot to follow the orbital equations link, doh!)

[lostcarpark.livejournal.com]

Ah, why didn't I think of that rather than trying to explain it myself?