A geostationary orbit is one that is directly above the Earth's equator with an "orbital eccentricity" of zero. This means that from the ground, a geostationary object appears motionless in the sky.

Geostatoionary satellites are able to keep up with the Earth's orbit and can, therefore, supply us with detailed information of a large portion of the Earth. Each satellite provides continuous images of a certain portion of the Earth.

They are particularly useful for viewing the evolution of storms and other large-scale cloud patterns. For this to be possible, they need to be about 36,000 km (22,300 miles) above the Earth's equator. For example, the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GEOS) are a set of satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).