Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2022 July 29 [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest resolution version available. SOFIA's Southern Lights Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Ian Griffin ([5]Otago Museum) Explanation: SOFIA, the [6]Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP aircraft modified to carry a [7]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. [8]On a science mission flying deep into the southern auroral oval, astronomer Ian Griffin, director of New Zealand’s Otago Museum, [9]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 [10]aurora australis, or southern lights. The plane was [11]flying far south of New Zealand at the time at roughly 62 degrees southern latitude. Unfortunately, [12]after a landing at Christchurch severe weather damaged SOFIA requiring repairs and the cancellation of the remainder of its final southern hemisphere deployment. Tomorrow's picture: an eagle rises __________________________________________________________________ [13]< | [14]Archive | [15]Submissions | [16]Index | [17]Search | [18]Calendar | [19]RSS | [20]Education | [21]About APOD | [22]Discuss | [23]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [24]Robert Nemiroff ([25]MTU) & [26]Jerry Bonnell ([27]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [28]Specific rights apply. [29]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC, [33]NASA Science Activation & [34]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2207/ASC05954-Edit.jpg 3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 4. https://twitter.com/iangriffin 5. https://otagomuseum.nz/ 6. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html 7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060225.html 8. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/150117/southern-nights-with-lights 9. https://vimeo.com/731166058?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=73339908 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap150704.html 11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap010210.html 12. https://blogs.nasa.gov/sofia/2022/07/21/sofia-adjusts-science-planning-following-damage-to-aircraft/ 13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220728.html 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 17. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 22. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=220729 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap220730.html 24. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 25. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 27. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 29. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 31. https://www.nasa.gov/ 32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners 34. http://www.mtu.edu/