By South China Morning Post | Created at 2024-10-01 12:39:03 | Updated at 2024-10-02 02:30:32
13 hours ago
A highly anticipated drone show at Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District planned for the eve of National Day was postponed for more than an hour and then cancelled, with authorities attributing the decision to a “meteorological factor”.
A consultant working with organisers, meanwhile, said the event was cancelled due to significant ionospheric interference that had affected the accuracy of the GPS signals used to control the devices.
1. What is the ionosphere?
Jennifer Yip Ling, a scientific officer with the Hong Kong Observatory, said the ionosphere was part of the Earth’s upper atmosphere, where extreme ultraviolet and X-ray solar radiation ionises the atoms and molecules, creating a layer of electrons.
The ionosphere is located at an altitude of 80km (49.7 miles) to about 600km. Commercial aircraft only fly at an altitude of around 10km.
It is split into three different layers due to variations in solar radiation and the density of atmospheric components.
The ionosphere also reflects and modifies radio waves that are used for communication and navigation.
