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Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
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Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

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Also known as: SOFIA
Written by
Erik Gregersen
Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the...
Erik Gregersen
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News •

NASA’s Hubble Finds Surprises Around a Star That Erupted 40 Years Ago • Dec. 18, 2024, 10:42 PM ET (NASA Science (.gov))

Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a Boeing 747 jet aircraft that carries a 2.5-metre (8.2-foot) telescope for performing astronomical observations of infrared sources from high altitudes. SOFIA is operated jointly by the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the German space agency, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR). SOFIA typically flies at an altitude of 12,500 metres (41,000 feet) to measure infrared radiation emitted by planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects. Much of the infrared radiation in certain spectral regions is absorbed by water vapour and carbon dioxide in Earth’s lower atmosphere and so cannot ...(100 of 211 words)

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