Two Southern Oregonians Fly High For NASA

Two Southern Oregon residents are flying with NASA through western skies this week to gather data on the deep corners of the universe.

Robert Black is the astronomy teacher and planetarium director at North Medford High School. He is joined by his friend, and amateur astronomer, Dave Bloomsness.

The pair was chosen along with other educators and scientists to fly aboard the NASA craft called SOFIA — the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.

On two flights at about 45,000 feet above sea level, infrared images will be captured at night to help shed light on black holes and the formation and destruction of stars. The first flight was Wednesday night with the second scheduled to depart from Palmdale, Calif., on Thursday

Robert Black said he’ll never forget what he saw on the first flight. "Looking through this really dense, cloudy, dusty region of space and watching a protostar — which means the beginning life of a star — appear out of this cloud of dust."

By flying in the stratosphere well higher than normal plane flights, the craft travels above water vapor in the atmosphere that blocks infrared light at lower altitudes.

Black said Wednesday’s flight path stretched from California to Oregon to Canada, with a return trip over Iowa and back to California.

In preparation for their flights, Black and Bloomsness studied astronomy through Montana State University.

"Really, it was a big night, to actually see some of the research I’ve been teaching about," Black said.

Upon returning to Southern Oregon, the two friends will incorporate their experiences into outreach and education programs through North Medford High School and the group Southern Oregon Skywatchers.

SOFIA's Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program began in 2010.

SOFIA is a joint program between NASA and the German Aerospace Center. The highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner uses a 3.5 meter infrared telescope.

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