An "orbiting observatory" is a satellite or spacecraft that is sent into space to study objects or phenomena from a distance. It gathers data and images from space and sends them back to Earth for scientists to analyze. Full definition
However, evidence exists from the rocks studied by NASA's rovers, including the Mars Curiosity Rover, as well as images of dry river beds made by orbiting observatories such as NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, that the Martian atmosphere 3.5 billion years ago was denser and warmer due the Greenhouse effect and supported the presence of liquid water at the surface. (sciencetrends.com)
In a move that shocked astronomers, the administration has proposed killing the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, its next big orbiting observatory, which is designed investigate the nature of dark energy and study exoplanets. (sciencemag.org)
A new find from NASA's Kepler orbiting observatory is the first Earth - sized planet to be detected in the habitable zone of a star (sciencemag.org)