Astronomers Use Black Holes to Pinpoint Earth's Location. But are Phones and Wifi Blocking the View?

Astronomers Use Black Holes to Pinpoint Earth's Location. But are Phones and Wifi 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," 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 la…