Twice a year, at the Spring and Fall Equinox, satellite downlink sites in the Northern Hemisphere experience reception interruptions due to the transition of the sun. Reception interruptions span a period of about ten days as the sun aligns directly above the satellite and the downlink antenna. Interference gradually increases through the transit time period, peaks, and then subsides as the transit period ends. The start and end dates of the sun outage cycle for your geographical location determines the severity of the interference on any given day. Sun outages are predictable, so you can be prepared.

Listed below are dates and times for the next sun outage cycle. All times approximate and will vary based on geographical location. To customize outage times for your specific area you can use this Sun Outage Calculator

***Spring 2019 Sun Outages: (March 1-9, 2019)***

Sun Outage Memo Spring 2019 SES-11 CCBD

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***Fall 2018 Sun Outages: (October 4-12, 2018)***

Sun Outage Memo Fall 2018 AMC-18 CCBD