Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA)

Mission Characteristics

Description: SOFIA was a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to accommodate a 2.5 meter reflecting telescope. Its instruments provide researchers with access to a wavelength coverage from the optical to the submillimeter (0.35 - 655 microns).
Wavelength: 0.35 - 655 µm
Area Coverage: Targeted
Instruments and their canonical papers: 2.5-m telescope with
Time Coverage: 25 May 2010 - 29 September 2022
Science Products Generated: Observation data and calibration files
Acknowledgement: Information for Authors

IRSA Services

NASA SOFIA Archive (Help) Interface to the NASA SOFIA Archive
FORCAST OC0 Data Cycle 0 data from FORCAST
Commissioning Data Commissioning data for EXES, FIFI-LS, and HAWC+
HIPO Data Occultation data from HIPO
Abstract Search Search abstracts that reference SOFIA products
Pipeline Reference Reference data for open source EXES and FLITECAM pipelines
ATRAN FITS files ATRAN FITS files needed by the pipelines
Raw Data Complementary raw data files consisting of engineering and test data

SOFIA Legacy Programs:

FEEDBACK: Radiative and Mechanical Feedback in Regions of Massive Star Formation GREAT spectra
Constraining Recent Star Formation in the Galactic Center FORCAST imaging
HyGAL: Characterizing the Galactic Interstellar Medium with Hydrides GREAT spectra
FIELDMAPS: Filaments Extremely Long and Dark: A Magnetic Polarization Survey HAWC+ imaging
SALSA: Survey of Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA HAWC+ imaging
LMC+: SOFIA Joint Legacy Survey of [CII] in the LMC FIFI-LS spectra
A Two-Color Polarimetric Survey of the Galactic Center HAWC+ imaging
SIMPLIFI: Study of Interstellar Magnetic Polarization: A Legacy Investigation of Filaments HAWC+ imaging
Lunar Legacy: Mapping the 6 Micron Molecular Water Line Across the Lunar Surface FORCAST imaging
Orion Square Degree: The Large Scale [CII] Emission from the Orion Molecular Cloud GREAT spectra
M51 FIFI-LS spectra
Hot Core Spectral Surveys EXES spectra
Dense Gas in the Central Molecular Zone GREAT spectra
EXES High-Resolution Spectral Library EXES spectra

Other Resources:

Main SOFIA Documentation Page Home page for SOFIA documentation; contains information about the SOFIA program and links to important resources.
SOFIA Observing Documentation Observer's Handbooks and other documentation for all instruments
SOFIA Data Processing Documentation Data Handbooks
SOFIA Data Analysis Documentation Cookbooks and analysis tools
Proposal Information SOFIA proposal information, including the SOFIA Archival Research Program
IRSA YouTube Tutorials IRSA tutorial videos about the SOFIA Archive
SOFIA YouTube Videos Collection of videos from the (decomissioned) SOFIA YouTube channel
Known Data Product Issues List of known issues with SOFIA data products
SOFIA Archive Known Issues List of known issues with the SOFIA Archive