Comments on: SOFIA the Flying Telescope Cruises Through Her First Science Mission http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/02/sofia-the-flying-telescope-cruises-through-her-first-science-mission/ 80beats is DISCOVER's news aggregator, weaving together the choicest tidbits from the best articles covering the day's most compelling topics. Tue, 22 May 2012 17:56:50 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: s http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/02/sofia-the-flying-telescope-cruises-through-her-first-science-mission/comment-page-1/#comment-473123 s Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:07:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=23349#comment-473123 Will they post "live feeds" over the internet?? Will they post “live feeds” over the internet??

]]> By: Wil http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/02/sofia-the-flying-telescope-cruises-through-her-first-science-mission/comment-page-1/#comment-470459 Wil Mon, 06 Dec 2010 02:17:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=23349#comment-470459 Thanks very much, JBaloun. I appreciate it. Thanks very much, JBaloun. I appreciate it.

]]> By: JBaloun http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/02/sofia-the-flying-telescope-cruises-through-her-first-science-mission/comment-page-1/#comment-469910 JBaloun Sun, 05 Dec 2010 21:47:36 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=23349#comment-469910 Wil, The opening has a sharp edge forward and a sloping ramp aft of the telescope to catch the airflow smoothly kind of like a long distance ski jump in the Olympics. This is how they avoid turbulence and avoid the cavity making a massive humming noise like when playing a flute or a pipe organ. The telescope cavity goes completely across the inside of the huge 747 fuselage from left to right and top to bottom (no passenger floor in the cavity) but the air passes smoothly enough to let the telescope not be buffeted too much and to let it see the image even looking through the slipstream layer. Also the telescope is balanced on the spherical ball in the center of the bulkhead. If free to float you could turn the balanced telescope and instrument easily with one finger. The active system keeps the telescope still on the spherical support while the plane cruises through the air. The spherical actuator is mounted on shock absorbing isolators and I understand there is also an active pointing mirror. This was all theory, design, and test until it actually flew on the aircraft this year. Good news is it works! Archive of SOFIA articles here http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19534 Wil,
The opening has a sharp edge forward and a sloping ramp aft of the telescope to catch the airflow smoothly kind of like a long distance ski jump in the Olympics. This is how they avoid turbulence and avoid the cavity making a massive humming noise like when playing a flute or a pipe organ. The telescope cavity goes completely across the inside of the huge 747 fuselage from left to right and top to bottom (no passenger floor in the cavity) but the air passes smoothly enough to let the telescope not be buffeted too much and to let it see the image even looking through the slipstream layer. Also the telescope is balanced on the spherical ball in the center of the bulkhead. If free to float you could turn the balanced telescope and instrument easily with one finger. The active system keeps the telescope still on the spherical support while the plane cruises through the air. The spherical actuator is mounted on shock absorbing isolators and I understand there is also an active pointing mirror. This was all theory, design, and test until it actually flew on the aircraft this year. Good news is it works!

Archive of SOFIA articles here
http://bb.nightskylive.net/asterisk/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19534

]]> By: Wil http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/12/02/sofia-the-flying-telescope-cruises-through-her-first-science-mission/comment-page-1/#comment-463939 Wil Sat, 04 Dec 2010 05:26:08 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/?p=23349#comment-463939 If they do not have a transparent barrier at the viewing opening, how do they keep the telescope from being buffeted by the 550 mile/hour air turbulence? I thought these mirrors had to be absolutely still to function correctly. If they do not have a transparent barrier at the viewing opening, how do they keep the telescope from being buffeted by the 550 mile/hour air turbulence? I thought these mirrors had to be absolutely still to function correctly.

]]>