Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy

Ultimately, studies from ground-based observatories are limited by absorption in the Earth s atmosphere. For example, no studies above THz are possible even from mountain-top observatories. Two major instruments, SOFIA and FIRST, are poised to change this situation dramatically. SOFIA (for Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy [26]) will carry a 2.7 m telescope in a 747SP aircraft to altitudes of 41... 

Source Ericksen, E. R, SOFIA Stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy in next generation infrared space observatory, in Next Generation Infrared Space Observatory (B. Burnel, Ed.), pp. 62. Kluwer Academic Publishers, The Netherlands (1992) with kind permission from Kluwer Academic Publishers. 

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