Telescope on the plane

After years of research, the US Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) on April 20 introduced a Boeing 747 carrying a giant telescope called infrared astronomical stratum observation device (SOFIA ) produced by Germany.

This device is in the process of testing before being put into use with the main task of observing the sky image.

The telescope carrier was introduced at a NASA facility in California (USA) on April 20.Photo: AP

According to the Associated Press, the device weighs 18,100 kg, which is installed in the largest airlift tail section of the current Boeing 747. This aircraft used to be Pan Am's commercial aircraft. While the Boeing 747 flies, the device will work to observe targets in the sky. The first goal is to collect infrared images of planets to determine measurements.

Officials described SOFIA 'similarly to the Hubble space telescope' - which was the device that sent many cosmic images to Earth during the time it was launched into orbit 20 years ago. Scientists also hope to use SOFIA for 20 years. SOFIA program director Bob Meyer said: 'They will work to decipher the secrets about the universe and our solar system.'