{"id":477,"date":"2009-07-01T00:15:32","date_gmt":"2009-07-01T00:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/perezmedia.net\/beltofvenus\/2009\/07\/01\/columbia_scient\/"},"modified":"2009-07-01T00:15:32","modified_gmt":"2009-07-01T00:15:32","slug":"columbia_scient","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/perezmedia.net\/beltofvenus\/2009\/07\/01\/columbia_scient\/","title":{"rendered":"Columbia Scientific Balloon Assembly – JUN 11, 2009"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Sketch<\/a><\/p>\n

Photograph of Columbia Scientific Balloon Assembly
June 11, 2009 – 8:42 PM MST<\/p>\n

Click image to view larger version.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

One evening, earlier in June I read an email alert that a scientific balloon was crossing central Arizona. I ran outside with my family to check it out. To the naked eye, it was brilliant against the cloud-streaked twilight and was definitely non-stellar in appearance. We got a great look at the balloon and payload through 15 x 70 binoculars. At one point it went through a striking color phase with a delicate pink base and yellow-orange top. I ran in, grabbed the telescope and camera. The great color was gone. but it still cooperated for a few photos. The magnified inset in the image above is a stack of 7 photos at 1\/30 and 1\/60 sec, ISO 1600 with a Canon EOS 300D and 2X Barlow through an Orion XT8 Dobsonian (8″ f\/5.9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n
Columbia Scientific Balloon Assembly — EBEX Flight # 598N<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Seen from home – Flagstaff, AZ<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Launched from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
EBEX (http:\/\/groups.physics.umn.edu\/cosmology\/ebex\/<\/a>) is a balloon-borne polarimeter designed to measure the intensity and polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

After Spaceweather.com picked it up<\/a>, I got a request from Tim Printy to use the photo in his July-August 2009 Skeptical UFO newsletter, SUNlite. A year or two ago, I ran across a web article he wrote about the Phoenix Lights<\/a> and was very impressed by his thorough coverage of the situation. (It synced up nicely with another article<\/a> in the Phoenix New Times.) I get frustrated by the Conspiracy Theory method of supporting an argument–which in my experience is a robust pillar of the UFO experience. In my time under the gorgeous Northern Arizona night skies, I’ve seen a number of unusual and sometimes unexpected sights. Any of them could be taken for suspicious alien activity if a person wanted to, but so far, they’ve all had astronomical and technological explanations. A few of my favorites:<\/p>\n