Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: LiveScience
Context: For the first time ever, scientists have detected water molecules on the surface of two asteroids, Iris and Massalia, revealing new insights into the distribution of water in our solar system.
- This discovery was made using data collected by NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), specifically its Faint Object InfraRed Camera (FORCAST) instrument.
NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) is the world’s largest airborne astronomical observatory. It’s a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch (2.7-meter) reflecting telescope. SOFIA can fly for up to 10 hours, with flight paths chosen to keep ahead of sunrise and maximize darkness.
SOFIA’s instruments include:
- FORCAST mid-infrared camera and spectrograph
- GREAT heterodyne spectrometer
- FIFI-LS far-infrared spectrometer
- EXES echelle spectrograph
- FPI+ focal plane imager
