On Dec. 18, NASA for the first time opened the doors of its Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy in flight. Test fligthts occured since 2007. The telescope is built into the tail end of a Boeing 747. The overall mission is named the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and flies above atmospheric water vapor that blocks most infrared light from ground observatories. The telescope is easier to maintain than the Spitzer or Hubble and costs significantly less. IT scans the widest range of light of any scope, from ultraviolet to the far infrared.
Archive for March, 2010
Telescope Riding In a Boeing 747 Sees More Than Hubble
Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010Chilean Earthquake Alters Earth’s Rotation
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010The recent earthquake in Chile probably altered the rotation of the earth, moving the Earth’s figure axis by about 3 inches (8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds).
The Massive 8.8 Chilie Earthquake, the seventh strongest earthquake in recorded history, hit Chile Saturday and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, according to research scientist Richard Gross at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.
The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami, should have shortened Earth’s days by 6.8 microseconds and shifted its axis by about 2.76 inches (7 cm, or 2.32 milliarcseconds).
The fault responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also slices through Earth at a steeper angle than the Sumatran quake’s fault, NASA scientists said.
“This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth’s mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth’s figure axis,” NASA officials said.
France Buys $1 Billion Worth of Russian Rockets
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010French Arianespace company head Jean-Ives Le Gall has announced that the company has made $1 billion available in a contract with Russia. “We have ordered 14 Soyuz carrier rockets. This contract will be worth about $1 billion,” Le Gall said in Paris on Tuesday. The Russian rockets and spacecraft have been one of the most reliable, stable, low cost, and mature for space travel.