索菲亚的南极光
(原标题: SOFIA's Southern Lights)
2022-07-29
浏览次数: 18
SOFIA，即平流层红外天文观测站，是一架经过改装的波音747SP飞机，可以携带一个大型反射望远镜进入平流层。这种机载设备能够爬升到地球上阻挡红外线的大气层的99%以上，这使得研究人员几乎可以从地球上的任何地方进行观测。7月17日，新西兰奥塔哥博物馆馆长、天文学家伊恩·格里芬在一次深入南极光椭圆的科学任务中，从天文台朝南的右舷拍下了这张照片。明亮的老人星在南方的夜晚闪耀在南极光的帷幕之上。这架飞机当时正在新西兰南部飞行，大约在南纬62度。不幸的是，在克赖斯特彻奇着陆后，恶劣的天气损坏了SOFIA，需要维修，并取消了其在南半球最后部署的剩余部分。
查看原文解释
SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a large reflecting telescope into the stratosphere. The ability of the airborne facility to climb above about 99 percent of Earth's infrared-blocking atmosphere has allowed researchers to observe from almost anywhere over the planet. On a science mission flying deep into the southern auroral oval, astronomer Ian Griffin, director of New Zealand’s Otago Museum, captured this view from the observatory's south facing starboard side on July 17. Bright star Canopus shines in the southern night above curtains of aurora australis, or southern lights. The plane was flying far south of New Zealand at the time at roughly 62 degrees southern latitude. Unfortunately, after a landing at Christchurch severe weather damaged SOFIA requiring repairs and the cancellation of the remainder of its final southern hemisphere deployment.
© Ian Griffin