12/08/2026
Heads up, Freshies! ๐ซก๐ฐ๏ธ
As we warmly welcome you to our big campus, for sure naligaw na rin kayo at some point. Buti na lang, meron tayong digital maps at GPS! Kaya naman, bago mag pasukan, dapat maging familiar na tayo sa ibaโt ibang lugar dito sa UP. Palms? Melch? Ano ba 'yan, ang gulo?!
Learn how you can navigate UP Diliman using your GPS in this weekโs Wisdom Wednesday!
First of all, the GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based navigation system that relies on the Global Navigation Satellite Systems established by different countries. These satellites orbit around the Earth and communicate using radio waves. But thatโs not all; when weโre using GPS, three components come into play: Radars, Satellites, and Receivers. Everything that these systems are built on is moving at constantly changing speeds. We have continental drift that shifts ground-based systems, satellite orbits, and planetary rotation, as well as atmospheric movement that can hinder communication signals, but how does modern GPS provide highly accurate positions on our digital maps?
For this, weโll examine the communication between the receivers and the satellites. Our primary example of a receiver would be the phones that we use to navigate. Satellites transmit radio signals to your phone to get the distance between you and the satellite, using the time it takes for the signal to reach your phone and multiplying it by the speed of light. Multiple satellites provide higher accuracy by tracking where signals intersect on the Earthโs surface; you can think of it as satellites having this sphere of signal, and a lot of these spheres intersect at your specific location. But then if we think about it, these distances are only relative to the receiver and satellite, and we have no idea where we are on Earth. This is where radars come in.
Humans have navigated the world ever since the idea of wayfinding emerged. The thought of knowing where you are on the planet gives a sense of safety. The same can be said for UP students who still donโt know where TBA is. Before satellites, cartographers mapped the world using triangulation techniques and positioning relative to known fixed pointsโ the stars.
Radars, short for Radio Detection and Ranging, shoot out pulses of radio waves from ground-based systems to track satellite positions and avoid collisions, but then ground stations need to know where they are so they can accurately monitor the positions of these satellites. Incorporating traditional mapping techniques into modern systems, radio telescopes- the huge dish that passively receives cosmic signals- also use known fixed points in space. Instead of stars, we use quasars. Quasi-stellar radio sources (Quasars) are extremely bright galaxies in space powered by a supermassive black hole. It emits pulses of radio signals from billions of light-years away, which radio telescopes use as reference points, and by measuring the distance between radio telescopes and the time that cosmic signals reach them, Geodesists can tie the ground station network directly to a stable, celestial coordinate system. This technique is called Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI).
Fun fact: Because the source of these radio signals is from distant galaxies, the pulses that we receive are very weak and have little to no effect on our daily lives.
Other techniques like Satellite Laser Ranging use lasers to monitor satellite movement. Over decades of development, satellites have become capable of accurately determining your exact location using various long-range communication techniques.
Now that you know the basics of why modern GPS systems can accurately know your location, itโs time to utilize their capabilities to their full potential. Did you know that digital maps can be used offline? Certain applications like Google Maps let users download digital maps for offline use. It is equipped with real-time location tracking by activating the location option on your phone.
In UP Diliman, cellphone signals can be a bit unstable, and relying on mobile data to navigate the campus can be a bit difficultโthis is where radio wave communication comes in handy. Using offline digital maps will greatly help you around the campus since your phone only needs a direct satellite connection. Combining that with the physical campus maps and jeepney routes, you can now plan your class schedules and travel times efficiently.
The start of this school year isnโt really the most ideal situation due to heavy rainfall and flooding. As you navigate your way around campus, it is important to stay cautious and stay away from hazardous routes. Always check for local updates and utilize your maps (and GPS) to have a safe semester ahead!
Content by: Hans Hofileรฑa
Design by: Alyhana Abrogena
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Wisdom Wednesday is brought to you by the UP Materials Science Society. Want more knowledge? Stay tuned next week for another amazing Wisdom Wednesday!
