Balloons to provide unique view of upcoming solar eclipse

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) – Students and professors from two Connecticut universities have held a test balloon launch as part of a project that will provide a unique view of this month’s solar eclipse.

More than 50 teams, including one from the University of Hartford and the University of Bridgeport, will launch 8-foot-tall high-altitude balloons along the path of the Aug. 21 eclipse. The balloons will carry cameras up to 100,000 feet into the stratosphere to capture footage of the event.

The NASA Connecticut Space Grant Consortium’s team held test runs Wednesday, launching their balloon to 35,000 feet above the University of Hartford’s campus.

During the eclipse, their balloon is scheduled to go up at Kenlake State Resort in Hardin, Kentucky, near the spot where the eclipse will be in totality for the longest amount of time.

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8/9/2017 1:46:01 PM (GMT -4:00)