Related papers: Current and Future Space and Airborne Observatorie…

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, or SOFIA, is the largest flying observatory ever built,consisting of a 2.7-meter diameter telescope embedded in a modified Boeing 747-SP aircraft. SOFIA is a joint project between NASA…

An updated Science Vision for the SOFIA project is presented, including an overview of the characteristics and capabilities of the observatory and first generation instruments. A primary focus is placed on four science themes: 'The…

We present one of the new generations of observatories, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). This is an airborne observatory consisting of a 2.7-m telescope mounted on a modified Boeing B747-SP airplane. Flying at…

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory consisting of a specially modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.7-m telescope, flying at altitudes as high as 13.7 km (45,000 ft). Designed to observe at…

Classical novae inject chemically enriched gas and dust into the local inter-stellar medium (ISM). Abundances in the ejecta can be deduced from infrared (IR) forbidden line emission. IR spectroscopy can determine the mineralogy of grains…

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), a joint U.S./German project, is a 2.5-meter infrared airborne telescope carried by a Boeing 747-SP that flies in the stratosphere at altitudes as high as 45,000 feet (13.72 km).…

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) completed its first light flight in May of 2010 using the facility mid-infrared instrument FORCAST. Since then, FORCAST has successfully completed thirteen science flights on…

A space-based far-infrared interferometer could work synergistically with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to revolutionize our understanding of the astrophysical processes leading to the…

Although far-IR -- mm-wave astronomy has now been developing for several decades, access to this portion of the spectrum remains difficult and limited. Relative to their optical-wavelength counterparts, the submillimeter observatories are…

The construction of the James Webb Space Telescope has brought attention to infrared astronomy and cosmology. The potential information about our universe to be gained by this mission and future infrared telescopes is staggering, but…

When the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) was conceived and its first science cases defined, exoplanets had not been detected. Later studies, however, showed that optical and near-infrared photometric and…

The mid- and far-IR spectral ranges are critical windows to characterize the physical and chemical processes that transform the interstellar gas and dust into stars and planets. Sources in the earliest phases of star formation and in the…

Observations made using COBE, SCUBA, ISO and MAMBO have provided a reasonable working knowledge of both the intensity of the submm and far-infrared background radiation and the source counts of luminous high-redshift dusty galaxies.…

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy mounted on-board a Boeing 747SP will open a new era in MIR/FIR astronomy. Starting in 2002, SOFIA will offer German and American astronomers a unique platform, providing regular…

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy SOFIA will become operational with the next two years. It will be the biggest astronomical airborne observatory ever build, comprising a 3m-class telescope onboard a Boeing 747SP. A suite…

Although the star formation process has been studied for decades, many important aspects of the physics involved remain unsolved. Recent advancement of instrumentation in the infrared, far-infrared and sub-millimetre wavelength regimes have…

Observations at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths promise to revolutionize the study of high redshift galaxies and AGN by providing a unique probe of the conditions within heavily extinguished regions of star formation and nuclear…

With its excellent sensitivity, large field of view, broad energy coverage, and good per-photon angular resolution, the Large Area Telescope aboard the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope satellite provides us with an unprecedented view of the…

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is optimized for observations in the near and mid infrared and will provide essential observations for targets that cannot be conducted from the ground or other missions during its lifetime. The state…

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared space telescope that has recently started its science program which will enable breakthroughs in astrophysics and planetary science. Notably, JWST will provide the very first…