Telescope on a Plane!
The Sky at Night takes to the air on board the largest airborne observatory in the world – a specially modified jumbo jet, flying out of California.
Telescope on a Plane!
In this special programme, the Sky at Night takes to the air on board the largest airborne observatory in the world – a specially modified jumbo jet, flying out of California. This extraordinary aircraft is home to a 17-tonne telescope that observes the galaxy from around 40,000 feet.
This telescope – called SOFIA – specialises in infrared astronomy. It can peer into the heart of a galaxy through the dust and gas, and see how stars form. It’s designed to answer some of the biggest questions in astronomy: why aren’t more stars being created and how do planets form?
Last on
Clips
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Starguide: December 2018
Duration: 04:49
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What is the Infrared?
Duration: 03:23
Music Played
Timings (where shown) are from the start of the programme in hours and minutes
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00:00Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Thomas Beecham
At The Castle Gate From Pelleas and Melisande (The Sky At Night) (1955)
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Chris Lintott |
| Presenter | Maggie Aderin |
| Presenter | Pete Lawrence |
| Series Producer | Simon Winchcombe |
| Executive Producer | Jonathan Renouf |
Broadcast
- Sun 9 Dec 201822:00
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