Polar sun synchronous orbit

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A polar sun synchronous orbit is a nearly polar orbit. Every time it crosses the Equator, it does it at the same local time (e.g. dawn or dusk).

Sun synchronous polar orbits are often used for geographically specific monitoring, since they can observe specific locations at the same time of the day. Since shadows are supposed to be constant, any change in the image acquired reflects a real change on the ground.

ORBITAL MECHANICS (Rocket and Space Technology)

v • d • e Orbits

Orbit types by characteristics:	Box orbit \| Circular orbit \| Ecliptic orbit \| Elliptic orbit \| Highly Elliptical Orbit \| Graveyard orbit \| Hyperbolic trajectory \| Inclined orbit \| Osculating orbit \| Parabolic trajectory \| Capture orbit \| Escape orbit \| Semi-synchronous orbit \| Subsynchronous orbit \| Synchronous orbit
Earth-centered orbits:	Geosynchronous orbit \| Geostationary orbit \| Sun-synchronous orbit \| Low Earth orbit \| Medium Earth Orbit \| Molniya orbit \| Near equatorial orbit \| Orbit of the Moon \| Polar orbit \| Polar sun synchronous orbit \| Tundra orbit
Orbits about other bodies:	Areosynchronous orbit \| Areostationary orbit \| Lunar orbit \| Heliocentric orbit \| Heliosynchronous orbit

Orbital elements:	Inclination ( $i\,\!$ ) \| Longitude of the ascending node ( $\Omega\,\!$ ) \| Eccentricity ( $e\,\!$ ) \| Argument of periapsis ( $\omega\,\!$ ) \| Semimajor axis ( $a\,\!$ ) \| Mean anomaly at epoch ( $M_o\,\!$ )
Other orbital parameters:	True anomaly ( $v\,$ ) \| Semi-major axis ( $a\,$ ) \| Semi-minor axis ( $b\,$ ) \| Linear eccentricity ( $\epsilon\,$ ) \| Eccentric anomaly ( $E\,$ ) \| Mean longitude ( $L\,$ ) \| True longitude ( $l\,$ ) \| Orbital period ( $T\,$ )
Orbital maneuvers:	Bi-elliptic transfer \| Geostationary transfer orbit \| Gravitational slingshot \| Hohmann transfer orbit \| Orbital inclination change \| Orbit phasing \| Space rendezvous

Other orbital mechanics topics:	Apsis \| Celestial coordinate system \| Delta-v budget \| Epoch \| Ephemeris \| Equatorial coordinate system \| Ground track \| Interplanetary Transport Network \| Kepler's laws of planetary motion \| Lagrangian point \| List of orbits \| n-body problem \| Orbit equation \| Orbital state vectors \| Retrograde and direct motion \| Specific orbital energy \| Specific relative angular momentum