  We identify satellites of isolated galaxies in SDSS and examine their angular
distribution. Using mock catalogues generated from cosmological N-body
simulations, we demonstrate that the selection criteria used to select isolated
galaxies and their satellites must be very strict in order to correctly
identify systems in which the primary galaxy dominates its environment. The
criteria used in many previous studies instead select predominantly group
members. We refine a set of selection criteria for which the group
contamination is estimated to be less than 7% and present a catalogue of the
resulting sample. The angular distribution of satellites about their host is
biased towards the major axes for spheroidal galaxies and probably also for red
disc galaxies, but is isotropic for blue disc galaxies, i.e. it is the colour
of the host that determines the distribution of its satellites rather than its
morphology. The similar anisotropy measured in this study as in studies that
were dominated by groups implies that group-specific processes are not
responsible for the angular distribution. Satellites that are most likely to
have been recently accreted show a tendancy to lie along the same axis as the
surrounding large scale structure. The orientations of isolated early and
intermediate-type galaxies also align with the surrounding large scale
structures. We discuss the origin of the anisotropic satellite distribution and
consider the implications of our results, critically assessing the respective
roles played by the orientation of the visible galaxy within its dark matter
halo; anisotropic accretion of satellites from the larger scale environment;
and the biased nature of satellites as tracers of the underlying dark matter
subhalo population. (Abridged)
