German SOFIA Institute – Astronomy Now

4 March 2021

Latest News

[ 1 March 2021 ] Evidence grows for pulsar at the heart of famed supernova remnant News
[ 26 February 2021 ] Juno mission extended, will now study Jupiter’s moons and rings News
[ 22 February 2021 ] Video provides thrilling bird’s eye view of Mars landing News
[ 19 February 2021 ] Perseverance Mars rover lands on Mars, beams back dramatic photos News
[ 16 February 2021 ] The case for, and against, the still-unseen Planet 9 News

Telltale signs of a planetary collision in binary star system

24 October 2019 Astronomy Now

Relatively warm clouds of dust swirling around a binary star system may be the result of a cataclysmic collision between two rocky exoplanets.

SOFIA detects long-sought primeval molecule

18 April 2019 Astronomy Now

Using the SOFIA airborne observatory, scientists have finally detected helium hydride, the first molecule formed in the wake of the Big Bang.

SOFIA in the right place at the right time for Pluto observations

4 July 2015 Astronomy Now

Currently operating out of Christchurch, New Zealand, the NASA/DLR SOFIA airborne 2.5-metre infrared telescope had to make last-minute flight path corrections to successfully secure observations of Pluto’s atmosphere as it occulted a distant star.