These instruments are fixed and reused, saving the government money. Weather balloons are the primary source of data above the ground. They provide valuable input for computer forecast models, local data for meteorologists to make forecasts and predict storms, and data for research.
Computer forecast models which use weather balloon data are used by all forecasters worldwide, from National Weather Service meteorologists to your local TV weatherman! Without this information, accurate forecasts beyond a few hours would be almost impossible! Back to Kid's Corner.
Please Contact Us. Please try another search. Weather balloons are high-altitude balloons that can be sent up into near-space to conduct experiments on atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity, wind speeds and more. Experiments can be anything from sending a stuffed parrot into the atmosphere all the way to sending grass seeds to study the effects near space has on the germination process.
StratoStar teams up with educators and students from all over the country to help conduct experiments. These project-based learning experiments allow students to get hands-on education while having some real fun. But, how exactly do the weather balloons work? This information is used for such research projects as local severe storm, aviation, and marine forecasts, weather and climate change research, and studies on air pollution.
This includes the price of the balloon, hydrogen and radiosonde. Since the s the National Weather Service has used weather balloons with radiosondes. Moon Phase Calendar. Email Facebook 2 Pinterest Twitter. Take a look at this video of a weather balloon launch:. About the author Related Posts. Susan Higgins.
The difference in weight between different size balloons comes from the size of the mold the balloon was manufactured on. A larger mold required more latex and therefore the final cured balloon will weigh more. It also means the balloon will stretch to a larger diameter before bursting. In the image to the left, Joseph is holding our g weather balloon.
It was cured on a mold almost 2 meters in diameter. If you have never launched a weather balloon before, we recommend starting with a or g weather balloon. They are a lot more forgiving to work with on the ground and are still capable of taking our Eagle Pro Kit to an altitude of 90, ft or more.
Larger weather balloons such as our or g balloons are much more challenging to work with on the ground because they have a much larger uninflated diameter. A larger balloon also requires a lot more helium just to compensate for its own weight which will significantly increase the cost of your launch.
How Weather Balloons Work - A weather balloon filled with helium will fly for the same reason oil floats on water. Oil has less density than water. As an experiment, pour a tablespoon of cooking oil into a glass of water. You should see the oil rise to the surface of the water. Just as the oil has less density than water and rises to the surface of the water, helium has less density than air and will rise to the surface of the earth's atmosphere.
This is a good thing for us because the surface of our atmosphere is where space begins and where we want to fly our payload. By trapping the helium inside a balloon, we can attach a line to the balloon, called the flight train, with our payload suspended at the other end.
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