GOES-16
Almost every satellite on this site races around the Earth. GOES-16 appears not to move at all — it hangs over the same longitude watching the same hemisphere, which is exactly what a weather satellite needs to do.
What makes GOES-16 different
One orbit takes exactly one day
At 35,800 km an orbit lasts 23 h 56 min — one sidereal day, the time Earth takes to turn once. Going round at precisely the rate the ground turns beneath means it stays above the same spot permanently.
Its ground track is a dot
Compare the map on this page with the ISS’s. Every other satellite draws a sweeping line; this one barely leaves a point, because relative to the ground it is not going anywhere. That single picture explains geostationary orbit better than a paragraph can.
A full hemisphere every ten minutes
Its imager scans the entire visible disc of Earth on a ten-minute cycle, and can stare at a developing storm far more often than that. The hurricane animations on the news are this satellite.
Almost zero inclination, and that matters
At 0.5° it sits essentially over the equator. Any real tilt would make it trace a slow figure-of-eight through the day instead of holding still, which is why station-keeping fuel is what ultimately ends a geostationary satellite’s working life.
GOES-16 launched in November 2016 and operates as GOES-East, parked near 75° west, watching the Americas and the Atlantic. Geostationary orbit is a narrow and crowded ring: there is only one altitude where the orbital period matches Earth’s rotation, so every operator wanting a fixed view competes for slots along the same circle. The trade is distance. At 35,800 km its resolution is far coarser than a polar orbiter at 800 km — but the polar orbiter passes twice a day, and a hurricane does not wait. For weather, watching continuously beats seeing sharply.
Frequently asked questions
Why does GOES-16 not move?
Its orbital period is one sidereal day, so it travels around the Earth exactly as fast as the Earth rotates. From the ground it appears fixed in the sky.
How high is geostationary orbit?
About 35,786 km above the equator. That altitude is not a design choice — it is the only one where the orbital period matches Earth’s rotation.
Can I see GOES-16?
Not with the naked eye. At nearly 36,000 km it is far too distant and faint, though it is within reach of a telescope and camera.
How is it different from NOAA-20?
GOES-16 watches one hemisphere continuously from high orbit. NOAA-20 flies low over the poles and covers the whole planet twice a day at much higher resolution. Forecasting needs both.