Chinese audiences may experience white noise or unstable signals while watching TV in the next three weeks, but there is no cause for alarm since a sun outage is taking place, according to authorities.

The State Administration of Radio Film and Television announced recently that satellites used to transmit radio and television signals will be influenced by a sun outage from February 25 to March 17. Programs influenced by affected wavebands will be interrupted by temporary white noise, blurred pictures or even black screens, which may last up to 15 minutes.

Netizens responded that this phenomenon explains recently unstable TV signals, and suggested that people go out and enjoy nature while TVs are not working. "I thought it was an attack from aliens. Now I'll watch less TV and enjoy life," a resident in Nanjing joked.

Sun outages occur each year around the March equinox and the September equinox in the northern hemisphere when the Earth is closest to the sun. Satellite signals become overwhelmed by the sun's radiation when a straight line is formed between the sun, a satellite and ground stations.

"Don't worry about your TV set, the radiation only disturbs ground receivers and won't harm your machine or your health," said Zhu Jin, director of the Beijing Planetarium.

Cellphone and GPS signals won't be affected either, according to Wu Zhilun, a professor of astronomy with Chongqing University.

Global Times