Red-Eye to the Stars

On a clear evening, a jumbo jet takes off heading into the sunset on California's Pacific coast. Once the Boeing 747SP has reached its cruising altitude in the stratosphere, a hatch in the back of the plane opens to reveal the view into the depths of space. "SOFIA", the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, gathers thermal radiation from distant celestial objects unobstructed by the water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere. Among other things, it can be used to observe the nurseries of young stars in distant gas nebulae that remain hidden in the spectrum of visible light. Our production team was able to shoot impressive full-dome videos during two flights with SOFIA in September 2018, allowing you to experience the flight almost live. Join our team on a red-eye flight aboard the flying observatory SOFIA to unravel the mysteries of star birth from 50,000 feet above the sea.