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Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy
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In response to COVID-19, SOFIA observations will be temporarily suspended effective Thursday, March 19, 2020 to ensure the safety of all staff and to comply with state and local county orders. While we are not conducting science observations at this time, the SOFIA Science Center remains active. Services such as data pipeline operations, the helpdesk, and user support are fully functioning. We will provide further updates about the status of the observatory as we know more.

New Science Mission Operations Director Dr. Margaret Meixner How The Swan Nebula Hatched SOFIA Reveals New View of Milky Way’s CenterHow to Shape a Spiral Galaxy Planetary Collisions in a Binary Star SystemMagnetic Field May Be Keeping Milky Way’s Black Hole QuietSOFIA Observations Fuel Debate about the Origin of the Earth’s OceansFirst Astrophysical Detection of a Very Special MoleculeThe Cosmic Fireworks of Massive Star FormationWeighing Galactic Wind Provides Clues to Evolution of GalaxiesSOFIA Uncovers Clues to the Evolution of Universe and Search for LifeSOFIA Finds Dust Survives Obliteration in Supernova 1987ALifting the Veil on Star Formation in the Orion NebulaNASA’s SOFIA Observatory Captures Orion’s Dragon in 3-DCosmic Collisions: Unraveling the Mysterious Formation of Star ClustersMagnetic Fields Confine the Torus at the Core of Cygnus ASOFIA Reveals Never-Before-Seen Magnetic Field DetailsWhat’s Happening in Orion’s Horsehead Nebula?What Stars Will Hatch From The Tarantula Nebula? NASA’s Flying Observatory Seeks to Find Out.New SOFIA Observations Help Unravel Mysteries of the Birth of Colossal SunsAstronomy from the Stratosphere: Results from NASA’s SOFIA Airborne Telescope Next Stop: The Stratosphere via Virtual TourNASA's Flying Observatory SOFIA to Explore Magnetic Universe and BeyondDoes New Horizons’ Next Target Have a Moon?Observations of a Comet’s First Passage through the Solar System Reveals Unexpected SecretsCatching the Shadow of a Neptunian MoonAstronomy from 40,000 Feet and 43.5 Degrees SouthSOFIA In The Right Place At The Right Time to Study Next New Horizons Flyby ObjectSOFIA Finds Cool Dust Around Energetic Active Black HolesUnderstanding Star Formation in the Nucleus of Galaxy IC 342SOFIA Confirms Nearby Planetary System is Similar to Our OwnDon’t Judge an Asteroid by its Cover: Mid-infrared Data from SOFIA Shows Ceres’ True Composition

Science Results

Solar System
Illustration of a comet, ice grains and Earth’s oceans

SOFIA Observations Fuel Debate about the Origin of the Earth’s Oceans

Interstellar Medium
Sagittarius A East Supernova Remnant

NASA’s SOFIA Finds Missing Link Between Supernovae and Planet Formation

Star Formation
Artist’s concept illustrating a catastrophic collision between two rocky exoplanets

Planetary Collisions in a Binary Star System

Stars and Supernovae
Illustration of planetary nebula NGC 7027 and helium hydride molecules

First Astrophysical Detection of a Very Special Molecule

Galactic Center
Streamlines showing magnetic fields layered over a color image of the dusty ring around the Milky Way’s massive black hole

Magnetic Field May Be Keeping Milky Way’s Black Hole Quiet

Extragalactic
C+ line luminosity as a function of FIR luminosity

Star Formation Across Cosmic Time

Publications
Astronomy and Astrophysics journal cover

SOFIA Publications

Observatory Update
FIFI-LS Mapping of the HII Region of M17-SW

SOFIA Releases Call for Observing Proposals

SOFIA is an 80/20 partnership of NASA and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), consisting of an extensively modified Boeing 747SP aircraft carrying a 2.7-meter (106 inch) reflecting telescope (with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters or 100 inches). The aircraft is based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, Calif. The SOFIA Program Office is at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., which manages SOFIA's science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association (USRA; Columbia, Md.) and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI; University of Stuttgart).

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Information for the Public

SOFIA takes off into the sunset

Information for educators, resources for journalists, news updates, and image galleries.

Information for Researchers

Jupiter in visible and infrared

Information about the observatory, its scientific capabilities, proposal calls, and other matters of interest to researchers.

NASA SOFIA Mission

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News, images, and other information for the general public.

German SOFIA Institute

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Information about the German SOFIA Institute (DSI).

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  • USRA
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Hina Kazmi, NASA
SOFIA Program Manager
NASA Ames

Margaret Meixner, USRA
Science Mission Operations Director
NASA Ames