Shoot for the Stars: My Experience as a SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador

NASA provides a host of various educational and instructional opportunities for all teachers to implement into their classroom instruction. These opportunities allow teachers to strengthen their arsenal of real-world applications of the taught content as well as provide practical examples of demonstrations, activities, lab exercises and projects that serve to reinforce the topics and concepts covered in class. One such opportunity is the SOFIA Airborne Astronomy Ambassador (AAA) program. SOFIA, or Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP (Special Performance) aircraft equipped with a 17-ton, 2.7 meters in diameter infrared telescope. As SOFIA approaches its maximum flying altitude of 45,000 feet, an electronically controlled door is opened, exposing the telescope to the universe, allowing academic astronomy researchers to collect infrared information from planetary and galactic objects. The AAA program is designed for science and/or astronomy educators to participate in the scientific process by flying on selected SOFIA flights. The educators learn by asking questions of the various crew members and observing the collaborative nature of team work toward the goal of obtaining astronomical information. This book chronicles my experience as a SOFIA AAA.