Satellite Dish

space technology · communication · radio waves

Catches signals from space. A satellite dish is shaped like a curved bowl that focuses radio waves the same way a magnifying glass focuses sunlight. These waves come from satellites orbiting Earth thousands of miles up.

Parabolic magic shape. The dish's special curved shape is called parabolic, which means all the radio waves that hit it bounce to one exact spot. This spot is where a receiver picks up the signal and turns it into TV shows and internet.

Satellites stay put. The satellites that satellite dishes point to are in geostationary orbit, meaning they hover over the same spot on Earth all the time. This is about 22,000 miles up, and it means your dish never has to move to find the signal.

Beams and receives. Early satellite dishes received TV from faraway places, but modern dishes can also send information back up to satellites. This two-way communication lets people video chat, use GPS, and download files from space.

Surprisingly simple setup. You don't need anything fancy to use a satellite dish, just the dish itself, a receiver box inside your home, and a cable connecting them together. Millions of people around the world use satellite dishes for entertainment and internet.