Susan Oltman April Whitt

Posted: Tuesday, March 3, 2015 9:59 am | Updated: 10:01 am, Tue Mar 3, 2015.

Local teachers headed toward space

Kittredge Magnet School teacher Susan Oltman and April Whitt of the Fernbank Science Center were two of 28 ambassadors and the only from Georgia selected as 2015 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors for NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy program, known as SOFIA.

The flying observatory is a highly modified Boeing 747SP jetliner carrying a 100-inch (2.5-meter) effective diameter telescope. Fitted with instruments that collect data at infrared wavelengths, SOFIA flies at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet (12-14 kilometers) on 10-hour overnight science missions.

Each educator team will complete a graduate credit astronomy course and then will be paired with a team of professional astronomers conducting science flights aboard SOFIA.

After their flight experiences, ambassadors take what theyve learned from the program into their classroom and communities to relate the scientific discovery process and its value to society.

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Posted in News, Local news on Tuesday, March 3, 2015 9:59 am. Updated: 10:01 am.

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Local teachers headed toward space