Pamela Marcum

SOFIA is a 747 airplane that, after many years of standard commercial airlines flights, was acquired by NASA. The aircraft was redesigned by constructing a large hole in the rear side of the plane and installing a roll-up door, inside which houses a 2.7-meter diameter telescope. This aircraft is now a flying observatory that observes the Universe at infrared wavelengths to help scientists coax out clues to long-standing mysteries including how stars like our own Sun are formed and what circumstances are needed to form planets capable of sustaining life.

Pamela gives this talk most often, and she has given various versions of it tailored to a range of different audiences (to astronomers as well as to the local Rotary Club!).