Solar eruption disrupts GPS
A solar eruption in December disrupted the Global Positioning System, a satellite-based navigational system used widely by the military, scientists and civilians, researchers reported Wednesday at the Space Weather Enterprise Forum in Washington, D.C.
The solar flare created radio bursts that traveled to Earth, covering a broad frequency range, the researchers said, affecting GPS and other navigational systems. Dale Gary of the New Jersey Institute of Technology said the burst created 10 times more radio noise than the previous record. Experts expressed concern that a stronger eruption could produce even more profound effects.
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