What do weather balloons look like? Any other ideas of what this strange object may have been?

Question

This is a serious question. On June 22 2007 and June 30 2007 my neighbor and I on the first occasion and both of us and her family on the second saw a very strange object in the sky. Both times it was between 10:30 and 11:30 pm near Flint, MI. I don't know how to describe it but to say it looked like an oval shaped object with a flat bottom (think of the mirrored candle holders that sit upright with a candle in front of them) flying at a high rate of speed and it looked like it was on fire. At first, we thought it was maybe an airplane on fire, but it kept going until it seemed to have disapeared, but could have gone behind clouds that we wern't able to see that late at night. We both questioned our sanity lol. Then last night we saw it again. I've never seen a weather balloon, so am wondering if this could possibly be one? Is there places to check to see if they were testing near here?

Actually, it didnt seem to be that high up, seemed lower than an airplane would travel but higher than a hot air baloon would travel (if that makes sense to anyone but me lol)

Answer 1

It is possible that you did see a weather balloon. But it is unlikely that it was one that was launched by the NWS given the time and location of when and where you had seen it.

Weather balloons are also launched by the military and researchers. The balloons can be launched for research purposes at any time. But in order for anyone to launch one, they need permission from the FAA. Once permission is granted, the FAA will issue a NOTAM (notice to airmen) telling all pilots that a weather balloon will be launch over a certain area. Any pilots in this area at the given period of time that the NOTAM is in effect will need to keep an eye out for this weather balloon.

I don't know of a way to check for old NOTAMs, but the next time you see one of these objects in the sky, check the follow web site for the latest NOTAM issued for your area.

https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/distribution/atcscc.html

If a weather balloon is in your area, this is the best way I can think of that will tell you this answer.

Answer 2

A weather balloon is spherical and about thirty feet in diameter, with a white or orange plastic cube shaped instrument case about a foot on each side hanging below it. They are not lighted and do not show up very well in the dark.

What you describe sounds more like a laundry bag balloon than anything else. People make these from a clear plastic bag of the sort that your clean clothes come home in from the laundry.

You tape the top shut and make a circular frame out of plastic drinking straws to hold it open at the bottom. Then you fasten birthday candles to the frame and light them to fill the bag with hot gasses. These are surprisingly robust in flight and will rise to several hundred feet and float away. The wind must be nearly calm.

In flight they look larger than they are because there is nothing to put them in perspective, and they give off an eerie glow because they are lighted from inside.

Could someone around where you live be launching these things at night? If not, then you have seen by definition a UFO, because you can't identify it and I can't identify it, and it is an object and it was flying.

Ask around and see who else saw it. See what ideas others who sighted it have. Good luck.

Answer 3

The object you was in the sky was not a weather balloon, since they are released at 0000 and 1200 GMT daily. Weather balloons are a dark brown or white in color and have a reversed tear drop shape with an instrument package abotu 50 below the balloon. This balloon is designed to burst at about 30,000 feet above the surface. What you haven't described was whether this object was going up or down.

Answer 4

the NWS Office that services your area is located in White Lake, Mi.
I do not belive they have a Weather baloon launch site at there office. they may use another site to launch such as a military base, Airport, or university.

you can see photos of a weather baloon at this site.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/mob/balloon.shtml

Radiosonde(Weather Balloon) observations are taken twice daily at 0000 hours and 1200 hours Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), or at 6 pm and 6 am CST. All worldwide agencies launch their radiosondes at approximately the same time, and over 1500 such observations are taken daily.

the balloons are typicly filled with hydrogen because hydrogen is cheeper than helium
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ffc/html/webtour/textmostly/slide15.html

Answer 5

That late at night I seriously doubt that you saw a weather balloon. To see what to you would be a very small object, from the objective view, it could only be reflecting sunlight, and to do so would have to be so high, and extremely large in order to be seen at all. Ask NOAA, the FAA, or NASA, it there were any such balloons in that area, and if they could be seen by the un-aided eye at their operating altitude to begin with.

Answer 6

weather balloons are almost like hot air balloons but smaller... according to wluc tv-6 there is a hot air balloon meet there near flint on those days..maybe it was that! as far as what you described it also sounds like a weather satellite maybe???

Answer 7

Im a white guy and honestly if a white guy goes around complementing womens bodies all the time they come off as a creep. staring at a women's *** and body will not get you their number or land you a date with them so its possible that all the bro's are just trying to respect you so they can have a chance.