The KAO is a national facility that is available, like many ground-based observatories, to any organization having a valid research effort. Please credit photo to NASA Ames Home Page. Please credit photo to NASA Ames Home Page The KAO, flying at 41,000 feet, is above 85 percent of the Earth's atmosphere and more than 99 percent of the Earth's water vapor. The heat patterns are detected as infrared and far-infrared radiation, invisible electromagnetic wavelengths longer than visible light and shorter than radiowaves. Infrared detection can locate cosmic sources that are not hot enough to emit visible light.
Modern astronomy uses all regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The Earth's atmosphere absorbs most infrared light, as well as gamma rays, X-rays, and ultraviolet light. Infrared radiation can also penetrate the thick dust clouds that obscure visible light throughout much of space. Infrared detectors can thus spot the cores of newborn and dying stars enshrouded by dust and sight giant dusty galaxies beyond our own galaxy, the Milky Way. The airborne observatory can react quickly to study rare, transient events like solar eclipses, stellar occultations, comet passages, nova eruptions and supernova explosions. A wide range of instruments can be rapidly installed, and the observatory can be deployed worldwide to take advantage of the best viewing conditions.