Now that the jet stream has lifted north for the summer, the weather balloons launched by NWS Atlanta in Peachtree City are starting to find their way down to Harris County. In addition to potential recovery opportunities of the radiosonde, the balloons are now visible at sunset. For the past several weeks I have been filming the balloons as they burst at altitudes above 110,000 feet. Here are some of the bursts I have captured using a variety of equipment and magnifications.
Date & time: 10 May 2022 8:51:50pm
Burst location: 32.87540 N, 84.63411 W or 2 miles northwest of Manchester, GA
Burst altitude: 112,444 feet (34,273 meters)
Filming location: Cataula, GA
Filming equipment: Canon G50 4K | 100mm focal length
Canon 7D 1080p | 560mm focal length
Range to balloon from camera: 29.6 miles
Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20041070
Notes: The first part of the video is what you can see with the naked eye while the second part is what 10x power binoculars would reveal
Date & time: 11 May 2022 8:56:19pm Burst location: 32.72395 N, 84.78815 W or 4 miles northwest of Waverly Hall, GA Burst altitude: 113,281 feet (34,528 meters) Filming location: Cataula, GA Filming equipment: Canon 6D 720p | 8-inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope Range to balloon from camera: 22.5 miles Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20041172 Notes: The focal length with this setup is ~2000mm
Date & time: 12 May 2022 8:49:57am Burst location: 32.73257 N, 85.04773 W or 10 miles WSW of Hamilton, GA Burst altitude: 112,647 feet (34,335 meters) Filming location: Cataula, GA Filming equipment: Canon 6D 720p | 8-inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope Range to balloon from camera: 24.2 miles Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20041659 Notes: This was a rare morning capture which are more difficult to see. I was able to follow the descent of the radiosonde under parachute for several minutes. The parachute is still collapsed at this point, it does not fully inflate until ~60k feet.
Date & time: 12 May 2022 8:59:20pm Burst location: 32.62242 N, 85.04678 W or 11 miles northwest of Columbus, GA Burst altitude: 111,699 feet (34,046 meters) Filming location: Cataula, GA Filming equipment: Canon 6D 720p | 8-inch Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope Range to balloon from camera: 23.5 miles Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20041236 Notes: This occurred as the balloon was passing into eclipse.
Date & time: 12 June 2022 8:55:35pm Burst location: 33.13692 N, 84.71875 W or 7 miles north of Greenville, GA Burst altitude: 115,466 feet (35,194 meters) Filming location: FDR State Park office Filming equipment: Canon 6D 720p | 8-inch SCT with a 3x barlow lens Range to balloon from camera: 30.5 miles Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20014658 Notes: The focal length with this setup is ~6100mm
Date & time: 13 June 2022 8:56:49pm Burst location: 33.20429 N, 84.82608 W or 2 miles south of Grantville, GA Burst altitude: 114,455 feet (34,886 meters) Filming location: FDR State Park Gardens Overlook Filming equipment: Canon 6D 720p | 8-inch SCT with a 3x barlow lens Range to balloon from camera: 34.0 miles Ground track: https://sondehub.org/20039627 Notes: The focal length with this setup is ~6100mm