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SOFIA Studies Astrochemistry

SOFIA Studies Astrochemistry
SOFIA can identify spectral fingerprints of the processes creating the universe’s water at wavelengths inaccessible to any other observatory.

SOFIA can identify spectral fingerprints of the processes creating the universe’s water at wavelengths inaccessible to any other observatory. A deep “trough” in spectral brightness observed at a frequency of 1391.5 gigahertz (wavelength of 215.6 microns) with SOFIA’s GREAT spectrometer indicates abundant deuterated hydroxyl (OD) molecules in the interstellar material between Earth and a protostar at the position indicated by the arrow. More info: http://go.nasa.gov/1t9dJ9I