Science Bulletins: SOFIA-Stars and the Space Between

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By sending an infrared telescope to altitudes of 12,000 meters (40,000 feet) and higher, NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) conduct astronomical research that would be impossible using telescopes based on Earth. The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy-SOFIA-is the only airborne telescope in the world. Infrared imaging of stars and planets is difficult from ground-based observatories, because water vapor in Earth's lower atmosphere blocks most infrared radiation. SOFIA operates from a modified Boeing 747, soaring high above occluding vapor to capture infrared emissions from distant galaxies. Using instruments that include a high-speed imager and a sensitive far-infrared spectrometer, SOFIA will provide insights into distant star formation, the chemical composition of deep space, and the atmospheres of planets within our own solar system.
Science Bulletins is a production of the National Center for Science Literacy, Education, and Technology (NCSLET), part of the Department of Education at the American Museum of Natural History. Find out more about Science Bulletins at www.amnh.org/sc....
Related Links
SOFIA Science Center
www.sofia.usra....
NASA Mission Pages: SOFIA
www.nasa.gov/mi...
Ames Research Center
www.nasa.gov/ce...
Deutsches SOFIA Institut
www.dsi.uni-stu...
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
www.dlr.de/dlr/...

Опубликовано:

4 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 34

@Energy321com 12 лет назад

When you make those 2 observations....and mix them together....it paints a whole new picture of planets and the stars. Have to think in terms dimensions if you plan to really make some discoveries that are MIND blowing!

@granddad2002 11 лет назад

There are many imaginative approaches on how astronomers can analyze the sky. SOFIA is what you get when space based telescopes are at a premium. But for most astronomers, just getting 5 miles above sea level is sufficient for good working conditions. For the price of sending an astronaut on a Soyuz, you have the annual budget for this airborne laboratory. But as optics advance, telemetry improves and space-based payload get cheaper.. mini-sats abd micro-sats are revising this market in India.

@kingdomGrupo 12 лет назад

@MoedeMedia 12 лет назад

@CressKayEdge...an airplane gives you two big advanages: 1) The plane comes home every night. You can change out and upgrade the instruments after every mission. In space, once you launch, it's gone...no repairs or upgrades. 2) You can fly the plane anywhere around the world. In space, your orbit is fixed...you can't reposition easily. 3) In space, you are limited to the data you can get from the spacecraft. Many mission use the deep space network, so your bandwidth/data is very limited.

@Energy321com 12 лет назад

Good Job guys/gals. not only do you look at shadows but also brightness as well. Its the ying/yang of energy.

@rhondah1587 12 лет назад

Also, Sophia (Σοφíα, Greek for "wisdom") is a central idea in Hellenistic philosophy and religion. Great name for this Project.

@warrenchu6319 3 года назад

My son Jason just joined SOFIA as an instrument scientist. He will fly on his first mission in April 2021.

@warrenchu6319 Год назад

Sadly, SOFIA made its last flight in September 2022 after NASA ended the program. Jason really enjoyed working on it, flying over 50 successful missions and made a lot of friends.

@rhondah1587 12 лет назад

This would blow the mind of Edwin Hubble. He would have been thrilled. Gallileo had no idea what we humans could accomplish once we didn't have to worry about the RCC's interference.

@ricardocalderon1721 10 лет назад

These activities and researches are what make us more human. As some people think, we'd still be burning people at the stake. SOFIA is so great and great too all what implies.

@CressKayEdge 12 лет назад

@MoedeMedia I agree with 1) but it has to compensate the flight cost for each operation. But for 2), you can select your orbit properly to get the best vantage point (i.e. high inclination orbit) but of course, it has some other disadvantages. As for 3) space-based telescope bandwidth is indeed limited, but sufficient for scientific usage I'd say. Flying on plane does offer some advantages, yes, but I'm just curious about the cost over one-time rocket launch.

@elkkid2 12 лет назад

So cool!

@MoedeMedia 12 лет назад

Just looked up some rough, rough numbers. For a 12 hour flight, I'm estimating the fuel tanks hold about 35,000 gallons of jet fuel. With an average price of $3.81/gallon for jet fuel (Source: iata.org - Jet fuel price monitor) that works out to $135,000 for a 14 hour flight. That's 370 or so flights for a single $50 million launch. You can get a lot of science for that single launch. Multiple instruments, making changes on the fly and going anywhere in the world to get your data.

@TheRoosevelt89 12 лет назад

Incredibly... I always wanted to be astronomer... unfortunately in Ecuador there is not available this wonderful career.... ! too bad

@USER112358134711 11 лет назад

How can an outsider interested in astronomy can fly with S.O.F.I.A.? I envy the lucky elite of astronomers using all those modern extraordinarily engineered facilities, looking at the miracles of the universe.

@memrjohnno 12 лет назад

Cheers for that

@joelangwe 12 лет назад

nice vid

@SmokeyBCN 11 лет назад

see point 2) of MoedeMedia. SOFIA can be used to quickly observe phenomena as they appear around the globe. Some sort of dirigible would take much longer to move around, and gain altitude, and whether or not it could be manned is still questionable.

@USER-jo7yz 4 года назад

How do you stabilize precisely the telescope on a vibrating plane?

@MoedeMedia 12 лет назад

@CressKayEdge...don't know the exact numbers, but roughly a Delta II rocket costs about $37 million to launch a payload. That's for a satellite about 4000 kilograms. Let's say $50 million to launch a space-based version of SOFIA. I have no idea of the year-to-year operations cost...but $50 million will buy you a lot of gas and crew time to fly anywhere in the world!

@CressKayEdge 12 лет назад

Doesn't this mean more fuel expenses on every operation for SOFIA? Why don't just launch the telescope into space and get a better vantage point than 40,000 feet?

@smitty2868 12 лет назад

Pluto [demoted to 'dwarf planet'] has an atmosphere?

@kinsley2108 11 лет назад

Based out of Christchurch, Oh Yeah!!!

@artemissofia 9 лет назад

i thought sofia is all about the flight attendant :) i guess im wrong

@ben6bh 10 лет назад

Its just stars we are interested in looking at honest because they would never lie would they

@SyntheticParanoia 12 лет назад

NOPE, SOFIA is the name of my city.

@myavo 10 лет назад

Interestingly, I didn't see a woman anywhere on board. I noticed a couple of women's names in the end credits giving special thanks, but no other female input or involvement. It's a little perplexing..