Solar storms disrupt GPS signals
Posted: Thu, Apr 5, 2007, 8:18 AM ET (1218 GMT)
A solar storm last year created enough radio noise to disrupt signals used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation network, scientists announced Wednesday. Powerful solar flares on December 5 and 6, 2006, generated a large amount of noise at frequencies used by the GPS system, swamping some receivers on the sunlit side of the Earth. The effects were more widespread than previously expected. Scientists said that while this was an isolated event, such flares will be more common in a few years when the Sun reaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, raising the prospect of more frequent disruptions of navigation services.
A solar storm last year created enough radio noise to disrupt signals used by the Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation network, scientists announced Wednesday. Powerful solar flares on December 5 and 6, 2006, generated a large amount of noise at frequencies used by the GPS system, swamping some receivers on the sunlit side of the Earth. The effects were more widespread than previously expected. Scientists said that while this was an isolated event, such flares will be more common in a few years when the Sun reaches the peak of its 11-year activity cycle, raising the prospect of more frequent disruptions of navigation services.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
|
|
news links
|
|
Wednesday, March 4
Testing ozone-monitoring satellite’s solar wings
ESA — 7:16 am ET (1216 GMT) Building a circular economy in space: ESA studies pave the way
ESA — 7:15 am ET (1215 GMT) Elon Musk’s SpaceX Is Said to Add Citigroup to IPO Bank Lineup
Bloomberg News — 7:04 am ET (1204 GMT) SpaceX $1.75 Trillion Valuation Is ‘Justifiable,’ PitchBook Says
Bloomberg News — 7:03 am ET (1203 GMT) A Plan B for space? On the risks of concentrating national space power in private hands
The Conversation — 7:03 am ET (1203 GMT) |
