James De Buizer
SOFIA USRA & Gemini South Visiting Astronomer
 

"The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA):
Mission Overview, Status, and Opportunities for Observers"
 

I will give an overview of the flying infrared observatory, SOFIA. This talk is aimed at scientists and engineers alike. For the scientists, I will be discussing the capabilities of the observatory, the unique and interesting science that we expect SOFIA to perform, and when and how they may get their own opportunity to use the observatory for their own science. For the engineers, I will give an overview of the telescope and plane construction and discuss some of the unique features and challenges involved in building a flying observatory.