Astronomers Use Black Holes to Pinpoint Earth's Location. But are Phones and Wifi Blocking the View? (space.com)
(Monday July 28, 2025 @03:34AM (EditorDavid)
from the you-are-here dept.)
- Reference: 0178487098
- News link: https://science.slashdot.org/story/25/07/28/043232/astronomers-use-black-holes-to-pinpoint-earths-location-but-are-phones-and-wifi-blocking-the-view
- Source link: https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-look-to-black-holes-to-know-exactly-where-we-are-in-the-universe-but-phones-and-wifi-are-blocking-the-view
Measuring earth's position (or "geodesy") requires using telescopes that track radiation from distant black holes. Their signals "pass cleanly through the atmosphere and we can receive them during day and night and in all weather conditions," [1]writes a senior scientist at the University of Tasmania .
But there's a problem...
> Radio waves are also used for communication on Earth — including things such as wifi and mobile phones... [A] few narrow lanes are reserved for radio astronomy. However, in previous decades the radio highway had relatively little traffic. Scientists commonly strayed from the radio astronomy lanes to receive the black hole signals. To reach the very high precision needed for modern technology, geodesy today relies on more than just the lanes exclusively reserved for astronomy.
>
> In recent years, human-made electromagnetic pollution has vastly increased. When wifi and mobile phone services emerged, scientists reacted by moving to higher frequencies. However, they are running out of lanes. Six generations of mobile phone services (each occupying a new lane) are crowding the spectrum... Today, the multitude of signals are often too strong for geodetic observatories to see through them to the very weak signals emitted by black holes. This puts many satellite services at risk.
>
> To keep working into the future — to maintain the services on which we all depend — geodesy needs some more lanes on the radio highway. When the spectrum is divided up via international treaties at world radio conferences, geodesists need a seat at the table. Other potential fixes might include [2]radio quiet zones around our essential radio telescopes. Work is also underway with satellite providers to avoid pointing radio emissions directly at radio telescopes. Any solution has to be global. For our geodetic measurements, we link radio telescopes together from all over the world, allowing us to mimic a telescope the size of Earth. The radio spectrum is primarily regulated by each nation individually, making this a huge challenge.
>
> But perhaps the first step is increasing awareness. If we want satellite navigation to work, our supermarkets to be stocked and our online money transfers arriving safely, we need to make sure we have a clear view of those black holes in distant galaxies — and that means clearing up the radio highway.
[1] https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-look-to-black-holes-to-know-exactly-where-we-are-in-the-universe-but-phones-and-wifi-are-blocking-the-view
[2] https://www.space.com/moon-far-side-radio-quiet-telescope-project
But there's a problem...
> Radio waves are also used for communication on Earth — including things such as wifi and mobile phones... [A] few narrow lanes are reserved for radio astronomy. However, in previous decades the radio highway had relatively little traffic. Scientists commonly strayed from the radio astronomy lanes to receive the black hole signals. To reach the very high precision needed for modern technology, geodesy today relies on more than just the lanes exclusively reserved for astronomy.
>
> In recent years, human-made electromagnetic pollution has vastly increased. When wifi and mobile phone services emerged, scientists reacted by moving to higher frequencies. However, they are running out of lanes. Six generations of mobile phone services (each occupying a new lane) are crowding the spectrum... Today, the multitude of signals are often too strong for geodetic observatories to see through them to the very weak signals emitted by black holes. This puts many satellite services at risk.
>
> To keep working into the future — to maintain the services on which we all depend — geodesy needs some more lanes on the radio highway. When the spectrum is divided up via international treaties at world radio conferences, geodesists need a seat at the table. Other potential fixes might include [2]radio quiet zones around our essential radio telescopes. Work is also underway with satellite providers to avoid pointing radio emissions directly at radio telescopes. Any solution has to be global. For our geodetic measurements, we link radio telescopes together from all over the world, allowing us to mimic a telescope the size of Earth. The radio spectrum is primarily regulated by each nation individually, making this a huge challenge.
>
> But perhaps the first step is increasing awareness. If we want satellite navigation to work, our supermarkets to be stocked and our online money transfers arriving safely, we need to make sure we have a clear view of those black holes in distant galaxies — and that means clearing up the radio highway.
[1] https://www.space.com/astronomy/scientists-look-to-black-holes-to-know-exactly-where-we-are-in-the-universe-but-phones-and-wifi-are-blocking-the-view
[2] https://www.space.com/moon-far-side-radio-quiet-telescope-project
Somehow... (Score:2)
by 93 Escort Wagon ( 326346 )
I don't see this happening.
Shhhhh (Score:2)
Radio silence please so we can spy on some black hoes.