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Boeing 747 Modified To Act As Infrared Telescope

Posted by timothy on from the watchers-above dept.

xyz writes "A joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center has developed a highly modified Boeing-747SP aircraft to carry a 2.5-meter (98.4 inch) infrared telescope. The project SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy) will observe radiation in the wavelengths from 0.3 microns to 1.0 millimeters, spanning the visible, infrared, and sub-millimeter portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The observations will be taken at an altitude of 40,000 to 45,000 feet (12 to 14 km) which is above 99.8 percent of the water vapor in Earth's atmosphere, thus giving it a greater range of observations." Update: 10/31 13:27 GMT by T : Mea culpa -- headline changed to reflect that this telescope is intended for looking out at space rather than down at the Earth.

5 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. Mount tinfoil Hats! by R2.0 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Sounds like it would make a great surveillance platform, too. It's in the name of science, after all.

    --
    "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." A. Carlson
    1. Re:Mount tinfoil Hats! by bornyesterday · · Score: 5, Funny

      one of these days, people will realize that the aluminum and tinfoil companies have been coerced by the government into impregnating their materials with microscopic brain-scanning devices and that wearing tinfoil hats has actually been increasing the effectiveness of the governments ability to read the minds of its conspiracy theorist and overly private citizens.

    2. Re:Mount tinfoil Hats! by IndustrialComplex · · Score: 3, Funny

      I've considered this, but the impurities are still smaller than the wavelength of the brain-control D-waves.

      The real important thing to do is make sure that your tinfoil hat is properly grounded.

      --
      Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
    3. Re:Mount tinfoil Hats! by MountainLogic · · Score: 2, Funny
      (Kent's Room)
      Kent: What?
      Mitch: (os) What do you think...

      (Chris & Mitch's Room)
      Mitch: (into microphone) ...a secret phase conjugate...

      (Kent's Room)
      Mitch: (os) ...tracking system is for? A big mirror makes a big beam

  2. Might want to change the title by Twitch42 · · Score: 1, Funny

    From the article:

    "The flying observatory will begin its short science, or 'first light' observations, in early summer 2009, and will continue its program of ***celestial observations*** for the next 20 years."