The sun's activity isn't usually a hot topic around these parts, but when it threatens to derail satellite navigation services around the world, it must surely take center stage. UK researchers have corroborated
Cornell's 2006 warning that our solar system's main life-giver is about to wake up and head toward a new solar maximum -- a period of elevated surface activity and radiation. It is precisely that radiation, which can be perceived in the form of solar flares, that worries people with respect to GPS signaling, as its effects on the Earth's ionosphere are likely to cause delays in data transmission from satellites to receivers and thereby result in triangulation errors. Still, it's more likely to be "troublesome than dangerous," but inaccuracies of around 10 meters and signal blackouts that could last for hours are being forecast in the absence of any intervening steps being taken. So yes, you now have
another reason not to trust your GPS
too much.
[Thanks, Mike]
posted February 10th 2010 6:02AM
Curse you Mike! I just sent this in :P
So, if dumb arses are driving their BMWs into rivers, they can no longer blame the GPS.
@Smart People Play Tuba
Maybe the 10m offset will keep them on the road,.......or just skew them further off track, into my living room :D
Geocachers, beware! Muggles are not the real danger anymore!
@pavelgr BEWARE THE END IS NIGH! 2012
Nice picture.
@rex2745
This is my Droid's wallpaper. Has been for like 4 months--makes me feel special.
@JeJ8523
Wallpapers make you feel special?
In Galileo we trust!
will this effect the European version of GPS too whenever they get around to completing it?
@nabberuk You can always use GLONASS .. if they let you.
How will i find my way to a beer store with out my trusty GPS?!
oh, no! what if I drive 10cm to the right!
@Marko
it's actually 10 meters, not cm. I would think 10 meters would be bad for a unmanned drone!
Your belly will instinctively lean to the left to adjust.
THE BELLY KNOWS ALL.
Carrington Event, Dec. 2012.
Wow, that image is incredible. I wish I could find it in high res.
@Yankee NASA - http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/images/content/228144main_Red-Dwarf-Flare-Full.jpg
@pavelgr
The Internets come through again! +1
"Set to Desktop Background" . . . and . . . done.
@pavelgr
Thank you!
Even more beautiful in larger res!
first global warming, now this, clearly we have to take out the sun.
@Ducman69
Lets launch missiles at it just like we did to the moon. We'll show those pesky other bodies of the solar system not to fuck with earth!
@Ducman69
Actually the sun has been pretty tame lately. Hence the lack of warming.
@Ducman69 We'll send missiles at night, while its asleep!!
@Ducman69
this is the reason i love this site.. thank you for this
Would that also knock out GPS' that go by triangulation of cell phone towers? Not many do that, but there are some... Would the solar flares knock those out?
It may also effect satellite TV.
Good thing I can watch all the shows I like online.
@Smart People Play Tuba
I was actually wondering if services like DirecTV or dishnetwork could be affected by something like this. I was going to ask if there were any egg heads in the crowd here who would know if they could possibly be susceptible. Is your comment based on any science or are you just wondering out loud? (which is fine if your are, just curious which)
@eferrari
Sorry, man, can't help you. I'm just speculating. But really, the rain we've been having lately in the Southeast U.S. is bad enough to knock out our DirecTV, so I won't even notice if the sun flare fries it.
OMGWTFBBQ! INNACURACIES OF 10 METERS! Does this mean I need to actually look up and read the odd street sign?!? The horror...the HORROR!
Hmmm, where have I heard of this before?
Oh, right! It's exactly what happens in the first episode of BBC's scifi series Paradox...
@pavelgr
One can use GLONASS today, they provide civil signals. There are receivers that are made in USA receivers or you can get Russian too.
Galileo also would experience the same problem as GPS. The problem is that the GPS (or Galileo or GLONASS, or future Chinese system) radio waves have to cross an atmosphere layer called Ionosphere. Such huge solar activity creates "big big mess" in this layer for propagation of radio waves ( these systems operate at 1.2-1.6 GHz).
@DariusLT I was just joking about the Russian sat nav system. I am merely using my GPS for geocaching, I am not competent on these issues at all.
"is about to wake up and head toward a new solar maximum"
it should be:
"may be it probably can wake up and head toward a new solar maximum, i guess"
Those astronomers like to be sensationalist and miss to detail all the facts.
For example :THE EARTH WILL BE DESTROYED BY AN ASTEROID (and a small note said :with a probability of 0.0000000000001%).
@magallanes No, The Sun really is heading towards its next solar maximum... It has a cycle and it's just that time of the month (or decade)
@pavelgr
One can use GLONASS today, they provide civil signals. There are receivers that are made in USA receivers or you can get Russian too.
Galileo also would experience the same problem as GPS. The problem is that the GPS (or Galileo or GLONASS, or future Chinese system) radio waves have to cross an atmosphere layer called Ionosphere. Such huge solar activity creates "big big mess" in this layer for propagation of radio waves ( these systems operate at 1.2-1.6 GHz).
@DariusLT
Sorry for the double comment, it only worked after >10 attempts to post the comment :/
Thank god there is a offline version of OVI MAPS with free navigation for life time.
@symbian
but it wont be accurate.
Well looks like I'm going to have to go back to analog.....*pulls out a map*
@admlshake It is a strange coincidence - today I bought for a friend of mine a nice NG satellite map! Made of paper!
"The sun's activity isn't usually a hot topic"
Sun. Hot. You guys are killing me.
Is it just me or does the next decade spell more and more doom and gloom for us humans? Except on gadgets part of the news. That part is totally rockin'.
Maybe this has something to do why when driving in Atlanta on Monday, all GPS functions on my Droid placed me first in Conneticut then in Kentucky traveling at breakneck speeds. Though I will admit, it was pretty fun watching Google Nav attempting to constantly route and reroute my "off-road endeavors."
its a cover for the beginning of 2012!
Aren't you glad the US government is decommissioning the Loran-C navigation system to save a paltry $190 million (over 5 years)?
Ugh!
@MAS
Yep, first thing I thought of when I saw the headline.
Meh, my car GPS already says I've arrived at my house about 100 feet before I get there.