Solar Flares May Harm GPS Signals

This week David Johnson, director of the National Weather Service, warned that GPS may be threatened by solar flares. Johnson said that on December 6, 2006, an unexpected flare affected almost every receiver on the lighted side of our planet. To stop this from happening again, current GPS antennas would have to screen the signals out or GPS satellites would have to be replaced with those that will broadcast a stronger signal.

Don’t panic yet. This activity goes in 11-year cycles with the next peak expected in 2011. Let’s hope by then that the scientists that are concerned about the flares will be the ones that come up with a solution.

Read More | CNN