NASA Selects Science Instrument Upgrade for Flying Observatory
WASHINGTON -- NASA has selected a science instrument upgrade to
the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)
airborne observatory. The instrument, the High-resolution
Airborne Wideband Camera (HAWC), will provide a sensitive,
versatile and reliable imaging capability to the SOFIA user
community. The upgrade involves two proposals that will allow
the observatory to measure the structure and strength of
magnetic fields in diverse objects throughout the universe, such
as star-forming clouds and galaxies. This will help astronomers
better understand how stars, planets and galaxies form and
evolve. SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP aircraft that
carries a telescope with a 100-inch (2.5-meter) diameter
reflecting mirror that conducts astronomy research not possible
with ground-based telescopes. By operating in the stratosphere
at altitudes up to 45,000 feet, SOFIA can make observations
above the water vapor in Earth's lower atmosph