Weather Balloon Spotting Software?

[El_Kabong]

I was visiting my parents in Lenoir, NC today and while cleaning gutters my mom asked if I saw something unusual floating just N of us. Whatever it was- it was reflecting the sun and had a silver look. My guess it was flying well above jet liners. Seemed to float like a kite. One main section and seemed to have another section just below it. Mom said it's blinking, but it looked too much like a hi viz reflection. I think whatever was tethered to it was spinning. We watched it for 15-20 minutes until it disappeared. It was fascinating to see yet I could not find it on any of my aircraft tracking programs. Is there a way to track these balloons?

I will check back in a few days for replies whilst I am still under a moderator approval.

 

[rr60]

Perhaps…..

SondeHub Tracker

Live tracking of radiosonde flights. Data via SondeHub v2. Includes weather overlay, predictions, and access to historic radiosonde flights on sondehub.

tracker.sondehub.org

 

[dlwtrunked]

I was visiting my parents in Lenoir, NC today and while cleaning gutters my mom asked if I saw something unusual floating just N of us. Whatever it was- it was reflecting the sun and had a silver look. My guess it was flying well above jet liners. Seemed to float like a kite. One main section and seemed to have another section just below it. Mom said it's blinking, but it looked too much like a hi viz reflection. I think whatever was tethered to it was spinning. We watched it for 15-20 minutes until it disappeared. It was fascinating to see yet I could not find it on any of my aircraft tracking programs. Is there a way to track these balloons?

I will check back in a few days for replies whilst I am still under a moderator approval.

The typical configuration when rising is balloon (tan latex) on top with red/orange parachute (not spread) below it with small white styrofoam box below that. Nothing would reflect the sun. What you describe does definitely not sound like a radiosonde (weather balloon). This is small enough you will see it above jet airliners. I think you saw a jet. I should add that I have recovered a dozen of these myself.

A good piece of software (small cost) to copy signals from actual radiosondes is sondemonitor:

SondeMonitor from COAA

 

[ATCTech]

The (former) Google Loon Project balloons were very visible in good light conditions at 50000-60000+ ASL, however their numbers are very limited now and playback on FlightRadar24 doesn't show anything of the sort in the area during daylight hours on the 18th. They are transponder equipped so yes, they are visible on ADS-B tracking web sights. I pointed one out to one of my neighbours during a rare overhead pass a few years back, large, silver "ball" that was highly reflective in daylight conditions and the appropriate sun angle.

 

[dlwtrunked]

The (former) Google Loon Project balloons were very visible in good light conditions at 50000-60000+ ASL, however their numbers are very limited now and playback on FlightRadar24 doesn't show anything of the sort in the area during daylight hours on the 18th. They are transponder equipped so yes, they are visible on ADS-B tracking web sights. I pointed one out to one of my neighbors during a rare overhead pass a few years back, large, silver "ball" that was highly reflective in daylight conditions and the appropriate sun angle.

In the case of NOAA radiosondes, they are not that large and spotting a 20 foot latex tan balloon at that height is not possible (and the rest, parachute and payload, is smaller and non-refleective so also not visible (without a telescope--with which it has remarkedly been done with a telescope at 100,000 feet when the balloon exploded). I have watched radiosonde releases at Washington Dulles (Sterling, VA), Wallops Is., VA and Newport, NC and it is amazing how quickly these rise and are no longer visible.

 

[El_Kabong]

Thanks for the replies.

It was too far away to see colors. I could only see reflections and it was two objects (tethered together with a cable?) that appeared to be very reflective almost like aluminum foil. It just floated there almost like a kite. By the location it seemed to be over the Boone/N Wilkesboro area at about 50,000' compared to airliners I was tracking at 38,000 to 40,000' in the same area. My guess is this was 3:00PM EST.

 

[El_Kabong]

The (former) Google Loon Project balloons were very visible in good light conditions at 50000-60000+ ASL, however their numbers are very limited now and playback on FlightRadar24 doesn't show anything of the sort in the area during daylight hours on the 18th. They are transponder equipped so yes, they are visible on ADS-B tracking web sights. I pointed one out to one of my neighbours during a rare overhead pass a few years back, large, silver "ball" that was highly reflective in daylight conditions and the appropriate sun angle.

Very interesting to know! I have FlightRadar24. Could not find it there as well.

 

[k7ng]

Depending on whose balloons they are, and the purpose of the launch, there could be a metallic corner reflector along with the sonde & parachute. The ones I launched (of course, things could change after 40 years) were pretty much heavy aluminum foil stretched over a hard plastic frame not much thicker than cocktail stirrers. They were about 18" x18" x 18". They would flash a metallic glint as the payload continuously swung like a pendulum. The sondes, though white plastic, showed up really well at amazing distances if the sun hit them right and the air was clear enough.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Depending on whose balloons they are, and the purpose of the launch, there could be a metallic corner reflector along with the sonde & parachute. The ones I launched (of course, things could change after 40 years) were pretty much heavy aluminum foil stretched over a hard plastic frame not much thicker than cocktail stirrers. They were about 18" x18" x 18". They would flash a metallic glint as the payload continuously swung like a pendulum. The sondes, though white plastic, showed up really well at amazing distances if the sun hit them right and the air was clear enough.

Not at 50,000 ft.

 

[El_Kabong]

Found this online.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Here is a typical NOAA launch (my photo)--this one from Morehead City/Newport, NC. The styrofoam payload at the end of the rope is in the launcher's hand. the balloon expands from about 5 ft to 20 feet before bursting at 100,000 feet for the parachute (red) descent.

 

[k7ng]

Yeah, I was probably imaging things. Sorry.
Can't see Venus during the day either.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Yeah, I was probably imaging things. Sorry.
Can't see Venus during the day either.

I am told one can see Venus during the day if one know exactly where to look but I have never done so. I suspect you did see something but I suspect a jet but I once saw something dark way up (50 years ago) that I still do not know what it was.

 

[El_Kabong]

I'm positive I didn't see a jet. As an avid aircraft spotter utilizing numerous apps and tracking software- jets don't hover at 50,000+ feet as did this unknown object. Hopefully I can figure it out. If ever.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[dlwtrunked]

Balloons do not hover either so that is unlikely. The fact that you say 50,000+ feet (about 10 miles) is troubling as it is not really possible for the human eye to estimate that (before retiring, my work involved modeling human vision). To estimate such a height (no knowing the size of the object) is limited to of the order of 10 meters unless clued by other objects of known size--which there were not any in this case--that is established science. You may think you were doing far better than that but perception can fool anyone.

 

[ind224]

HBAL604 is over Nebraska right now. FL530 @ 12Kts and that is "fast" for them, this is likely travel mode. I've seen them reporting 3 and 4 Kts, pretty close to a hover.....and now we have DIY'ers building and launching all kinds of stuff likely on the Federal offense side of things.....good luck in your quest.

 

[El_Kabong]

Balloons do not hover either so that is unlikely. The fact that you say 50,000+ feet (about 10 miles) is troubling as it is not really possible for the human eye to estimate that (before retiring, my work involved modeling human vision). To estimate such a height (no knowing the size of the object) is limited to of the order of 10 meters unless clued by other objects of known size--which there were not any in this case--that is established science. You may think you were doing far better than that but perception can fool anyone.

Wow. Didn't expect that response. Did you think about asking for more details before making those "scientific" assumptions and concluding my post was "troubling?" Not going to debate semantics, but comparing jets to balloons- the balloon did indeed seem to be hovering on a slow moving wind current ABOVE nearby aircraft. I was monitoring aircraft in the same area with live data (speed, altitude, transponder info, etc.) By making a live comparison it is possible to distinguish with glasses and filters which I paid big bucks. Please try to not interject assumptions. I have seen satellites in the daytime cruising by in an asynchronous orbit. You should try it sometime.

 

[El_Kabong]

HBAL604 is over Nebraska right now. FL530 @ 12Kts and that is "fast" for them, this is likely travel mode. I've seen them reporting 3 and 4 Kts, pretty close to a hover.....and now we have DIY'ers building and launching all kinds of stuff likely on the Federal offense side of things.....good luck in your quest.

Thanks!

 

[dlwtrunked]

Wow. Didn't expect that response. Did you think about asking for more details before making those "scientific" assumptions and concluding my post was "troubling?" Not going to debate semantics, but comparing jets to balloons- the balloon did indeed seem to be hovering on a slow moving wind current ABOVE nearby aircraft. I was monitoring aircraft in the same area with live data (speed, altitude, transponder info, etc.) By making a live comparison it is possible to distinguish with glasses and filters which I paid big bucks. Please try to not interject assumptions. I have seen satellites in the daytime cruising by in an asynchronous orbit. You should try it sometime.

As I noted, I worked in the area of modeling human fision for the U.S. government. My main point was that you cannot estimate altitude as you did, it is just not possible. No assumptions are needed. And how did you know your possible balloon was higher--there is no way with the equipment you had--it would require a very long baseline with 2 simultaneous observations. This is and area in which I have some expertise and direct experience. Google David L. Wilson NVESD and you will see some of my unclassified publications (I have over 30) relating to modeling detecting targets. Satellite have glint, weather balloons generally do not and are much smaller. Some balloons may and you may see the glint, but you still will not know the altitude. I could also ask how you knew the wind was slow? You did not--comparing it to jets does not answer that and balloons--I have tracked hundreds with software (to later recover some of them), never "hover".

 

[El_Kabong]

PM returned. Thanks