The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an 80/20 joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)to construct and maintain an airborne observatory.
TIL of Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a 747 with a telescope installed. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Str…
SOFIA-Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy reddit.com/gallery/poewfj
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an 80/20 joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR)to construct and maintain an airborne observatory.
Once in a lifetime moment! Waited two hours in a winter rain, just to get to see SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)
The Government Shutdown Has Grounded NASA’s Only Flying Telescope - SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is an observatory built onto a Boeing 747, but the government shutdown has stopped it from flying. motherboard.vice.com/en_u…
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
TIL about SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), a Boeing 747SP modified to carry a 106-inch reflecting telescope. Flying in the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet puts SOFIA above 99 percent of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere. nasa.gov/mission_pages/SO…
Massive young stars are factories for ingredients to life | NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy found massive quantities of water and organic molecules in these swirling, disk-shaped clouds, offering insights into how some key ingredients of life get incorporated into planets nasa.gov/feature/massive-…
TIL NASA operates a mobile space telescope aboard a retrofitted 747 aircraft in partnership with the German Aerospace Center called SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) wikipedia.org/wiki/Strato…
Massive young stars are factories for ingredients to life | NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy found massive quantities of water and organic molecules in these swirling, disk-shaped clouds, offering insights into how some key ingredients of life get incorporated into planets nasa.gov/feature/massive-…
NASA's Sofia (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) spotted in Christchurch New Zealand
Open telescope doors on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. A highly modified Boeing 747SP aircraft with a 38,000 lb telescope mounted in the rear.
SOFIA (siglas de Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) es un avión Boeing 747SP de la NASA modificado para transportar un telescopio reflector de 2,5 metros construido por la agencia espacial alemana DLR. Vuela a una altitud de unos 13 km y efectúa observaciones en el infrarrojo v.redd.it/utu58n3hag451
New infrared-based image of the center of the Milky Way Galaxy is one of the most detailed yet. Taken by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) telescope, an airborne observatory, which flies around on a Boeing 747SP jetliner. popularmechanics.com/spac…
I am an astronomer flying on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) tomorrow. Ask me anything.
I'm an astro grad student flying on SOFIA to run some tests with our mid-IR camera. Our tests aren't very exciting, but we've got some beautiful results from previous flights (http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/717927main_1a_SOFIA-FORCAST_CNR_black_hole.jpg)
Here's SOFIA sitting in the hangar as of an hour ago (http://imgur.com/7Qg5AWa)
Ask me anything!
edit: I should probably mention that the image is of the inner 20 light years of our galaxy. It's a ring of hot dust around the 4 million solar mass super massive black hole. The "Y"-shaped features are streamers of hot dust and gas falling in to the black hole.
edit: hey guys, thanks for all the questions but I need to get some sleep! If people are still interested I can do another one tomorrow (with more pictures).
edit3: I'm about to head out, I can do another one of these when I get back around ~730am PDT. See you guys then!
edit4: change of plans. we had to land earlier so we're trying again tomorrow
edit5: (http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1bkv7f/i_am_an_astronomer_flying_on_nasas_stratospheric/) if you have more questions! sorry, I'll do this tomorrow!
SOFIA, AKA the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a 2.5 meter reflecting telescope mounted in a 747SP
SOFIA: The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy
The cockpit of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) after it received an avionics modernization upgrade in 2012 that replaced the outdated avionics suite with new avionics systems.
Stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy (SOFIA) built by NASA and the German aerospace centre. Spotted in Christchurch New Zealand
I see a lot of post about the 747 Dremlifter or 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. But do you know about the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a 747SP modified to be an airborne observatory ? imgur.com/a/YUfHPsK
One of the Last Flying 747SPs. Stratospheric Infrared Observatory For Infrared Astronomy - SOFIA
SOFIA, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.
The cockpit of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
SOFIA, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.
Inside of NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) i.reddituploads.com/7e7ad…
ITAP of SOFIAs (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) cabin sided pressure bulkhead and the science instrument flange. SOFIA is a 747-SP carrying an infrared telescope under a big shutter in the aft.
The SETI Institute’s NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors (AAA) launched into their 2018 season with overnight research flights on the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) on September 12-13 and 13-14. seti.org/airborne-astrono…
Nichelle Nichols talks about her flight on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) space.com/30600-uhura-mee…
TIL NASA has an observatory onboard a Boeing 747 named SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) cnn.com/2016/08/30/aviati…
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) takes off from Palmdale, California at sunset. [4928x2996]
NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) aka the world's largest flying observatory has dropped into Christchurch airport
Attn planespotters: NASA's SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) due to land 11am tomorrow facebook.com/187095228001…
Obama's budget plan could ground NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). It's been operational for about 11 days. nature.com/news/sofia-gro…
NASA's Flying Telescope, SOFIA [Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy]
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy)
I had the opportunity to tour SOFIA the past two summers and I wanted to share my pictures with you because I find it to be a very interesting aircraft/telescope.
Edit: I derped, here is the link: http://imgur.com/a/4PztD
Boeing 747 SP Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy - SOFIA youtube.com/watch?v=g5z6f…
TIL that the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is a modified airliner that regularly opens a door in flight en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Str…
NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy nasa.gov/content/nasas-st…
Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Str…
[Table] I am an astronomer flying on NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) tomorrow. Ask me anything.
Verified? (This bot cannot verify AMAs just yet)
Date: 2013-04-02
Link to submission (Has self-text)
| Questions | Answers |
|---|---|
| What does infrared astronomy help to observe than other methods? | Looking in the infrared is awesome when your sources are enshrouded by dust, which prevents you from observing in the visible of ultraviolet wavelengths. |
| There are large quantities of dust inbetween us and the galactic center (we're on the outer parts of the Galaxy so think of the spiral arms). So it's impossible to observe the center in visible wavelengths; however, in the IR we're able to see through all of that dust and find out what's going on (see the picture!) | |
| Does the same principle also work with radio telescopes? | Yup! And with radio telescopes you can observe in the day. |
| How much do you get paid to do this, and if I want to be you; how much time and money do I have to put in? Also, are these all from tax dollars? | I get paid pretty comfortably. But keep in mind that this is coming right out of undergrad so not technically having a real job. I know my friends who pursued careers in business are making much more than I am. |
| The time and money is all pretty much put into going to undergrad and doing good there. Unfortunately, most people don't have that opportunity which always leads me to wonder about all the brilliant minds that are out there that go on never fulfilling their potential (sorry that was a bit off topic) | |
| What altitude do you fly at and why can't you preform the same operations from earth? Also can you tell us what were looking at in the first picture? | Ah, sorry for not being more descriptive about the picture. It's the inner 20 lightyears of our galaxy! That ring that you see is a ring of hot dust circling around the supermassive black hole 4 million times the mass of the Sun in the galactic center. Those bright Y-like streamers are s |
NASA 747 SOFIA - Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy aopa.org/News-and-Video/A…
