Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy

E. T. Young; E. E. Becklin; P. M. Marcum; T. L. Roellig; J. M. De Buizer; T. L. Herter; R. Güsten; E. W. Dunham; P. Temi; B. G. Andersson; D. Backman; M. Burgdorf; L. J. Caroff; S. C. Casey; J. A. Davidson; E. F. Erickson; R. D. Gehrz; D. A. Harper; P. M. Harvey; L. A. Helton; S. D. Horner; C. D. Howard; R. Klein; A. Krabbe; I. S. McLean; A. W. Meyer; J. W. Miles; M. R. Morris; W. T. Reach; J. Rho; M. J. Richter; H. P. Roeser; G. Sandell; R. Sankrit; M. L. Savage; E. C. Smith; R. Y. Shuping; W. D. Vacca; J. E. Vaillancourt; J. Wolf; H. Zinnecker

doi:10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy

E. T. Young, E. E. Becklin, P. M. Marcum, T. L. Roellig, J. M. De Buizer, T. L. Herter, R. Güsten, E. W. Dunham, P. Temi, B. G. Andersson, D. Backman, M. Burgdorf, L. J. Caroff, S. C. Casey, J. A. Davidson, E. F. Erickson, R. D. Gehrz, D. A. Harper, P. M. Harvey, L. A. HeltonS. D. Horner, C. D. Howard, R. Klein, A. Krabbe, I. S. McLean, A. W. Meyer, J. W. Miles, M. R. Morris, W. T. Reach, J. Rho, M. J. Richter, H. P. Roeser, G. Sandell, R. Sankrit, M. L. Savage, E. C. Smith, R. Y. Shuping, W. D. Vacca, J. E. Vaillancourt, J. Wolf, H. Zinnecker

Physics and Astronomy (Twin Cities)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

231 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory consisting of a specially modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.7m telescope, flying at altitudes as high as 13.7km (45,000ft). Designed to observe at wavelengths from 0.3 μm to 1.6mm, SOFIA operates above 99.8% of the water vapor that obscures much of the infrared and submillimeter. SOFIA has seven science instruments under development, including an occultation photometer, near-, mid-, and far-infrared cameras, infrared spectrometers, and heterodyne receivers. SOFIA, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und-Raumfahrt, began initial science flights in 2010 December, and has conducted 30 science flights in the subsequent year. During this early science period three instruments have flown: the mid-infrared camera FORCAST, the heterodyne spectrometer GREAT, and the occultation photometer HIPO. This Letter provides an overview of the observatory and its early performance.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	L17
Journal	Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	749
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17
State	Published - Apr 20 2012

Keywords

infrared: general
instrumentation: miscellaneous
telescopes

Publisher link

10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

Find It

Find It at U of M Libraries

Cite this

Young, E. T., Becklin, E. E., Marcum, P. M., Roellig, T. L., De Buizer, J. M., Herter, T. L., Güsten, R., Dunham, E. W., Temi, P., Andersson, B. G., Backman, D., Burgdorf, M., Caroff, L. J., Casey, S. C., Davidson, J. A., Erickson, E. F., Gehrz, R. D., Harper, D. A., Harvey, P. M., ... Zinnecker, H. (2012). Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 749(2), Article L17. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

Young, ET, Becklin, EE, Marcum, PM, Roellig, TL, De Buizer, JM, Herter, TL, Güsten, R, Dunham, EW, Temi, P, Andersson, BG, Backman, D, Burgdorf, M, Caroff, LJ, Casey, SC, Davidson, JA, Erickson, EF, Gehrz, RD, Harper, DA, Harvey, PM, Helton, LA, Horner, SD, Howard, CD, Klein, R, Krabbe, A, McLean, IS, Meyer, AW, Miles, JW, Morris, MR, Reach, WT, Rho, J, Richter, MJ, Roeser, HP, Sandell, G, Sankrit, R, Savage, ML, Smith, EC, Shuping, RY, Vacca, WD, Vaillancourt, JE, Wolf, J & Zinnecker, H 2012, 'Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy', Astrophysical Journal Letters, vol. 749, no. 2, L17. https://doi.org/10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

@article{a8589e64ae05447cbe207c34d61281d2,

title = "Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy",

abstract = "The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory consisting of a specially modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.7m telescope, flying at altitudes as high as 13.7km (45,000ft). Designed to observe at wavelengths from 0.3 μm to 1.6mm, SOFIA operates above 99.8% of the water vapor that obscures much of the infrared and submillimeter. SOFIA has seven science instruments under development, including an occultation photometer, near-, mid-, and far-infrared cameras, infrared spectrometers, and heterodyne receivers. SOFIA, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center Deutsches Zentrum f{\"u}r Luft und-Raumfahrt, began initial science flights in 2010 December, and has conducted 30 science flights in the subsequent year. During this early science period three instruments have flown: the mid-infrared camera FORCAST, the heterodyne spectrometer GREAT, and the occultation photometer HIPO. This Letter provides an overview of the observatory and its early performance.",

keywords = "infrared: general, instrumentation: miscellaneous, telescopes",

author = "Young, {E. T.} and Becklin, {E. E.} and Marcum, {P. M.} and Roellig, {T. L.} and {De Buizer}, {J. M.} and Herter, {T. L.} and R. G{\"u}sten and Dunham, {E. W.} and P. Temi and Andersson, {B. G.} and D. Backman and M. Burgdorf and Caroff, {L. J.} and Casey, {S. C.} and Davidson, {J. A.} and Erickson, {E. F.} and Gehrz, {R. D.} and Harper, {D. A.} and Harvey, {P. M.} and Helton, {L. A.} and Horner, {S. D.} and Howard, {C. D.} and R. Klein and A. Krabbe and McLean, {I. S.} and Meyer, {A. W.} and Miles, {J. W.} and Morris, {M. R.} and Reach, {W. T.} and J. Rho and Richter, {M. J.} and Roeser, {H. P.} and G. Sandell and R. Sankrit and Savage, {M. L.} and Smith, {E. C.} and Shuping, {R. Y.} and Vacca, {W. D.} and Vaillancourt, {J. E.} and J. Wolf and H. Zinnecker",

year = "2012",

month = apr,

day = "20",

doi = "10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "749",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal Letters",

issn = "2041-8205",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy

AU - Young, E. T.

AU - Becklin, E. E.

AU - Marcum, P. M.

AU - Roellig, T. L.

AU - De Buizer, J. M.

AU - Herter, T. L.

AU - Güsten, R.

AU - Dunham, E. W.

AU - Temi, P.

AU - Andersson, B. G.

AU - Backman, D.

AU - Burgdorf, M.

AU - Caroff, L. J.

AU - Casey, S. C.

AU - Davidson, J. A.

AU - Erickson, E. F.

AU - Gehrz, R. D.

AU - Harper, D. A.

AU - Harvey, P. M.

AU - Helton, L. A.

AU - Horner, S. D.

AU - Howard, C. D.

AU - Klein, R.

AU - Krabbe, A.

AU - McLean, I. S.

AU - Meyer, A. W.

AU - Miles, J. W.

AU - Morris, M. R.

AU - Reach, W. T.

AU - Rho, J.

AU - Richter, M. J.

AU - Roeser, H. P.

AU - Sandell, G.

AU - Sankrit, R.

AU - Savage, M. L.

AU - Smith, E. C.

AU - Shuping, R. Y.

AU - Vacca, W. D.

AU - Vaillancourt, J. E.

AU - Wolf, J.

AU - Zinnecker, H.

PY - 2012/4/20

Y1 - 2012/4/20

N2 - The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory consisting of a specially modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.7m telescope, flying at altitudes as high as 13.7km (45,000ft). Designed to observe at wavelengths from 0.3 μm to 1.6mm, SOFIA operates above 99.8% of the water vapor that obscures much of the infrared and submillimeter. SOFIA has seven science instruments under development, including an occultation photometer, near-, mid-, and far-infrared cameras, infrared spectrometers, and heterodyne receivers. SOFIA, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und-Raumfahrt, began initial science flights in 2010 December, and has conducted 30 science flights in the subsequent year. During this early science period three instruments have flown: the mid-infrared camera FORCAST, the heterodyne spectrometer GREAT, and the occultation photometer HIPO. This Letter provides an overview of the observatory and its early performance.

AB - The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is an airborne observatory consisting of a specially modified Boeing 747SP with a 2.7m telescope, flying at altitudes as high as 13.7km (45,000ft). Designed to observe at wavelengths from 0.3 μm to 1.6mm, SOFIA operates above 99.8% of the water vapor that obscures much of the infrared and submillimeter. SOFIA has seven science instruments under development, including an occultation photometer, near-, mid-, and far-infrared cameras, infrared spectrometers, and heterodyne receivers. SOFIA, a joint project between NASA and the German Aerospace Center Deutsches Zentrum für Luft und-Raumfahrt, began initial science flights in 2010 December, and has conducted 30 science flights in the subsequent year. During this early science period three instruments have flown: the mid-infrared camera FORCAST, the heterodyne spectrometer GREAT, and the occultation photometer HIPO. This Letter provides an overview of the observatory and its early performance.

KW - infrared: general

KW - instrumentation: miscellaneous

KW - telescopes

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84859331580&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84859331580&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

DO - 10.1088/2041-8205/749/2/L17

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84859331580

SN - 2041-8205

VL - 749

JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters

IS - 2

M1 - L17

ER -

Early science with SOFIA, the stratospheric observatory for infrared astronomy

Abstract

Keywords

Publisher link

Find It

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this