Nasa readies jumbo eye in the sky

[txyall]

NASA has launched yet another infrared telescope:

BBC News - Nasa readies jumbo eye in the sky

The US space agency Nasa has unveiled a powerful new tool in its quest to unravel the mysteries of the Universe.  The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is a modified Boeing 747-SP aircraft known as Sofia.

Developed in partnership with the German Aerospace Centre, DLR, the 'plane is the only flying astronomical observatory in the world.

It carries a 2.7m telescope, and offers astronomers a unique opportunity to explore the cosmos.

It can identify objects that emit radiation at infrared wavelengths, which are not visible to the human eye.

[Yowbarb]

Well this is probably significant...

[Ed Douglas]

Obviously, NASA must feel that they just don't have enough ways to view the infrared spectrum. This unit doesn't make sense, unless it's going to look down, not up.