ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

International Reference Ionosphere

The international reference ionosphere is like a giant map of the sky that helps scientists understand how radio waves travel through the air.

You know how when you throw a ball, sometimes it goes straight and sometimes it curves? Well, radio waves can do the same thing. They travel through the air, but sometimes they bounce off things and go in a different direction, which can make it hard for people to communicate with each other using radios or other communication devices.

That's where the international reference ionosphere comes in. Scientists have studied how the air in the sky affects radio waves, and they've created a big chart that shows how radio waves are affected at different times of day, in different parts of the world, and in different weather conditions.

This chart is like a big reference book that people can use to figure out how to send radio signals to each other more effectively. For example, if someone wants to talk to someone on the other side of the world, they can look at the reference ionosphere map and see what time of day is best for sending the signal, and what frequency of radio wave is most likely to get through.

So the international reference ionosphere is like a giant helper that makes it easier for people to communicate with each other, no matter where they are in the world.