What Is a Satellite and What Is the Difference Between a Satellite and a Moon In Astronomy?

A natural satellite is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body and is also commonly referred to as a moon.

They’re both essentially the same thing.

A satellite is an object that orbits another, parent, object.

For instance, the Moon is Earth’s satellite, and the Earth is a satellite of the Sun.

The solar system is a satellite of the Milky Way’s nucleus.

All planets, except for Mercury and Venus, have at least one satellite, or moon.

Earth has one satellite called the Moon. Saturn has at least 62 moons, of which, Titan is the largest.

In 2009, 336 bodies in the solar system were formally classified as moons.

These days some satellites can be fabricated, such as space stations.