The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities’ Stratospheric Ballooning Team participated in an eclipse exhibit at the U of M’s Physics and Nanotechnology Building in conjunction with the Bell Museum of Natural History on Sunday, August 13. The event was hosted in an effort to educate the general public on the much-anticipated solar eclipse that will sweep across North America on August 21.
Ballooning team members set up most of the equipment expected to fly during the eclipse in the 3M Lobby, including a fully-inflated high-altitude balloon. Children and adults alike were able to ask questions of the team members and examine the payload boxes. Dr. James Flaten, the faculty member who oversees the ballooning team, gave a “science talk” at nearby Keller Hall about the team’s goal to livestream the eclipse from the stratosphere using lightweight video telemetry systems.
The weekend after this block party the team traveled to Nebraska to fly stratospheric balloon missions within the path of totality of the eclipse on August 21, 2017.
