How Black Holes Rule Your GPS?
Every day, without even knowing it, you use technology guided by the most mysterious objects in the universe: supermassive black holes. These colossi of space influence more than just distant galaxies; they also guide your daily path.
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Navigation in the age of black holes
For a long time, the stars have guided sailors and travelers. Today, although we use satellite-based GPS systems to orient ourselves, a new method of navigation is emerging, exploiting the most powerful cosmic phenomena: supermassive black holes and quasars. These gigantic, often silent entities are proving crucial for global positioning, opening a new path in the way we perceive and use space.
Quasars: beacons of the universe
Quasars, the active nuclei of young galaxies, emit extremely bright and stable signals that can be used for space navigation. Their stability makes them more reliable reference points than stars for calibrating GPS systems, especially when satellite signals are unavailable or faulty. These distant but powerful objects play a key role in the precision of the technologies we take for granted.
The Celestial Frame of Reference
The Celestial Reference Frame is a system that uses the precise position of quasars to define spatial coordinates. Dr. Christopher S. Jacobs and his team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are using this method to improve the accuracy of GPS navigation systems, compensating for slight irregularities in Earth's rotation. This strategy helps ensure accurate and reliable navigation, essential for both everyday life and critical global operations.
Daily precision and global implications
GPS accuracy is maintained by regular adjustments based on the Celestial Reference Frame. These adjustments are vital not only for everyday navigation but also for critical applications such as maritime navigation, space missions, and even international financial transactions where synchronization is essential. This technology is proving indispensable for maintaining order and efficiency in many aspects of modern society.
Challenges and innovations
The updating and improvement of the Celestial Reference Frame is constant. Efforts to refine this system include increasing the number of known quasars and improving the precision of their positioning through new missions such as GaiaNIR, which aims to discover quasars hidden in the plane of the Milky Way. These initiatives are essential to continue to advance the understanding and use of space for navigation and exploration.
Scientific implications
Quasars, although considered point sources, are revealing more complex structure as telescopic technologies evolve. Understanding where exactly quasars’ radio emissions come from helps scientists refine the model of the motion of our solar system and the galaxy. This painstaking work helps increase the precision of the spatial references used for navigation and exploration.
Land contribution
Beyond navigation, the Celestial Reference Frame helps study terrestrial phenomena such as the movements of tectonic plates. Supermassive black holes, by illuminating the secrets of the universe, also shed light on the internal dynamics of our planet. This deep knowledge of Earth dynamics is crucial for predicting natural disasters and urban planning.
Mars hides a huge ocean beneath its surface and it may contain life
This article explores how astronomical phenomena, such as supermassive black holes and quasars, directly impact our daily lives by shaping global navigation systems. Their mysterious but vital contributions show that even the most distant and powerful forces in the universe have a tangible role in our everyday reality.
Source: Iflscience