Home Virginia Tech expert to study August eclipse for impacts on radar, ham radio, GPS
Local News

Virginia Tech expert to study August eclipse for impacts on radar, ham radio, GPS

Contributors

August 21 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many in the U.S. to see a total eclipse — but for scientists and engineers, it’s a chance to conduct research on systems we rely on for communication, safety and even transportation.

newspaperA Virginia Tech expert, backed by research funding from NASA and the National Science foundation, will lead an experiment to study those effects, along with a host of other changes in the upper atmosphere that have an impact on radio propagation.

Greg Earle, a professor of electrical engineering, heads up a team of faculty, staff, and students studying the effects on systems we use everyday – such as over-the-horizon radar, amateur radio, and even the global positioning system or GPS, which helps guide us through traffic.

“Radio wave propagation is affected by the electrical part of the atmosphere and during the eclipse, we really have the opportunity to collect data and learn more about the impact of these changes on systems we’ve come to rely on,” said Earle.

The Virginia Tech team plans to gather data from a variety of sources, including radar systems, transceivers, satellites, ham radio, and GPS receivers, in order to analyze the effects of the solar eclipse on the conductive region of the atmosphere.

“Whether military radar, or consumer GPS signals, the eclipse is going to have effects on the medium that we would like to understand better, so that we can either mitigate them or use them to our advantage,” said Earle.

Contributors

Contributors

Have a guest column, letter to the editor, story idea or a news tip? Email editor Chris Graham at [email protected]. Subscribe to AFP podcasts on Apple PodcastsSpotifyPandora and YouTube.

Latest News

Saquon Barkley rushing yards odds
Sports News

Live Saquon Barkley Rushing Yards Odds As Philadelphia Eagles Make Impressive Start At Super Bowl LIX

patrick mahomes - How To Bet On The Super Bowl
Sports News

Super Bowl Betting Apps With Free Bets For The Second Half

See here the best Super Bowl betting apps with free bets for the second half as the Philadelphia Eagles take a commanding lead. The Eagles have stormed out to a 17-0 advantage thanks to a tush push from quarterback Jalen Hurts and a pick-six by star cornerback Cooper DeJean. The second half is surely going...

patrick mahomes passing yards odds Super Bowl
Sports News

Live Patrick Mahomes Passing Yards Odds As He Looks To Inspire Kansas City Chiefs To Super Bowl Three-Peat

The Kansas City Chiefs are aiming to secure a historic Super Bowl three-peat and the best sports betting sites are offering live odds of Patrick Mahomes’ passing yards during the clash with the Philadelphia Eagles. BetOnline is among the best offshore sportsbooks giving players the chance to bet on the Super Bowl during the Big...

eight best super bowl live betting sites in florida
Sports News

8 Best Super Bowl Live Betting Sites In Florida

patrick mahomes - How To Bet On The Super Bowl
Sports News

8 Best Super Bowl Live Betting Sites In Texas

Jalen Hurts passing yards odds
Sports News

Super Bowl Sportsbook Promos With Free Bet Bonuses

Jalen Hurts passing yards odds
Sports News

Jalen Hurts Passing Yards Odds As Philadelphia Eagles Take Early Lead In Super Bowl LIX