Boeing 747SP

SOFIA Finds Hidden Clues in Pluto's Haze

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Aircraft, Contents, Boeing 747, Minor planets, Astronomical observatories, Astronomical imaging, Observational astronomy, Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, Observatory, Pluto, Boeing 747SP, Infrared astronomy

Now, new data from SOFIA help

Key Points: 
  • Now, new data from SOFIA help
    explain how Pluto's haze is formed from the faint light of the Sun 3.7 billion miles away as it moves through an unusual orbit.
  • "There had been hints in earlier remote observations that there might be haze, but there wasn't strong evidence to confirm it really existed until the data came from SOFIA.
  • These combined observations from SOFIA and New Horizons, taken so close in time, have provided the most complete picture yet of Pluto's atmosphere.
  • SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope.