What are atmospheric delays?

Atmospheric delays are like when sound takes a longer path through something thick and slow.

Imagine you're shouting to your friend across a field on a sunny day, the sound travels straight and fast, so they hear you clearly. But if there's a lot of fog or rain in the air, it’s like the sound has to go through a thick blanket. The air becomes thicker and slower, making the sound take longer to reach your friend.

The atmosphere, that’s the layer of air around Earth, can change how signals travel. When there's more moisture or heat in the air, it acts like a thicker medium. Signals, like those used by GPS satellites, have to go all the way through the atmosphere before reaching us. If the air is thick and slow, the signal slows down and takes longer than expected.

It’s like walking through a crowded hallway instead of an empty one, you take more steps and arrive later. That's how atmospheric delays work in real life, affecting things like GPS and radio signals.