(C) NASA This story was originally published by NASA and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . SOFIA Final Flight – SOFIA: Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy [1] [] Date: 2022-12-13 About SOFIA SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, was a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a 2.7-meter (106-inch) reflecting telescope (with an effective diameter of 2.5 meters or 100 inches). Flying into the stratosphere at 38,000-45,000 feet put SOFIA above 99 percent of Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere, allowing astronomers to study the solar system and beyond in ways that are not possible with ground-based telescopes. SOFIA was a joint project of NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR. [END] --- [1] Url: https://blogs.nasa.gov/sofia/2022/12/13/sofias-final-flight/sofia-final/ Published and (C) by NASA Content appears here under this condition or license: Public Domain. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/nasa/