I mean NASA's plane that is a flying observatory. Since the government is shut down right now, I couldn't get any picture off the government's NASA web site, so you will have to be satisfied with the few I did find on the Internet. The picture below is of the Boeing 747 taking off on one of it's excursions to fly at 41,000 feet which is above most all of the water vapor. Water vapor blocks infrared and this plane carries an infrared telescope.
It has a huge door that opens so the telescope can "see" out into space. (The big door is on the other side of the plate.) This was an engineering marvel. If you just had a big door like that open on an ordinary aircraft in flight it would be catastrophic. But this plane was specifically designed to be stable with the door open or closed.
"SOFIA was based at the U.S. Antarctic Program's airfield in Christchurch, New Zealand from July 12 to August 2, studying the center of our Milky Way Galaxy, star forming regions and supernova remnants in the southern sky, and the Milky Way's companion dwarf galaxies." A quote from off the Internet.
You all know how much I love space and all the stuff that is out there. This project which is expected to run for many more years will give me a lot of information that is missing from what I know about what is out there. Now, I hope you all don't have a too "far out" day, but just have a great day, you hear?
I take it Sofia is still flying ane that wasn't affected by the shutdown. I'm worried about what this whole govt episode is going to do to our scientific and space programs. It won't be good.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure if it is still flying during the government shut-down. Probably not.
DeleteTruth is, I've never heard of either "Sofia".... guess I'm too busy reading blogs ;-)
ReplyDeleteI knew of the plane, I didn't know of the actress until I was trying to find additional information on the plane.
DeleteHowdy DD,
ReplyDeleteThank you, for the enlightenment on our space program... I'll bet it costs LESS to operate SOPHIA than the EMPEROR & EMPRESS' planes they fly around, taking 'vacations and gathering $$$$$ for pocket change... Now if they really wanted to study the MILKY WAY
they could come out to the RunningStar Ranch, in Coleman county, in the HEARTLAND of TEXAS, where we have clear skies, most of the time, (THANK YOU GOD FOR THE RAIN) and SEE it up close...
Hope y'all have a wonderful HAPPY DAY !!!!
You got that right!! Maybe I could bring my big telescope out to your area some day and set it up. I bought a big one because over here, in East Texas, the skies are not so clear and the light pollution is bad.
Delete"Look UP!" Is a common saying between me and Joe. I don't think anyone else down here in the flatlands, with the sky being so visible, are even aware of it.
ReplyDeleteAs you know out here in the west is a lot of clear night skies.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about Sofia the actress or the plane The only Sofia that I was familiar with was Sofia, Bulgaria.
ReplyDeleteLotta joy, there is a lot of interesting things to see in the night sky, but you do have to look up.
ReplyDeleteBarney, Yes, I have always enjoyed the western night sky away from any lights. The stars seem so close you wouldn't think that a telescope is necessary. Big difference from out there to over here near the coast.
Ed, yes, there is a city in Bulgaria named Sofia. Glad I introduced you to the other two.