NASA's SOFIA flying observatory was captured in striking relief during nighttime telescope characterization tests in Palmdale, Calif., in March 2008
The SOFIA telescope team collected baseline operational measurements during several nights of characterization testing in March 2008 while the SOFIA 747SP aircraft that houses the German-built infrared telescope was parked on an unlit ramp next to its hangar at the NASA Dryden Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif. The primary celestial target was Polaris, the North Star. The activity provided the team with a working knowledge of how telescope operating systems interact and the experience of tracking celestial targets from the ground.
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Details
NASA ID
ED08-0067-19
Date Created
March 10, 2008
Center
AFRC
Media Type
image
Photographer
NASA/Tom Tschida
Location
AFRC
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