How GPS finds your position
In short: Timing signals from at least four satellites gives your distance to each, and so your position.
1. GPS satellites broadcast their position and the precise time. 2. Your receiver picks up signals from the satellites it can see. 3. How long each signal took to arrive gives the distance to that satellite. 4. Distances to at least four satellites let the receiver calculate one position. 5. The receiver calculates its position and the precise time.
Sources: NOAA, “What is GPS?” (Public domain (US Government work)); Wikipedia, “Global Positioning System (Wikipedia)” (CC BY-SA 4.0). Illustrative, not to scale.
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Sources
- Source: NOAA: What is GPS? · Public domain (US Government work)
- Also: Wikipedia — Global Positioning System
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