A graphic showing an illustration of the Chinese spy balloon, a party balloon, and a scientific research balloon.
Science balloon
Party balloon
Spy balloon
A number of airborne objects have been identified and shot down over the past two weeks, including a Chinese spy balloon and three U.F.O.s in North America, and about half a dozen Russian balloons in Ukraine. These encounters have raised questions about just what else might be in the sky.
At any given time, thousands of balloons are floating overhead, along with other objects ranging from the mysterious to the mundane. Here’s a look at some of them.
Note: Illustrations are shown using a different scale than the altitude measurements.
A graphic showing objects found in the sky between about 120,000 and 100,000 feet above sea level, including illustrations of a scientific research balloon and several weather balloons.
120,000 feet above sea level (23 miles)
100 feet
Scientific research balloon
Up to about 120,000 feet
High-altitude balloons allow scientists to test new instruments and get a closer look at the sky. Some balloons can stay in the air for weeks or even months.
“The Pumpkin”
NASA super
pressure balloon.
40 feet
Balloon
Parachute
Weather balloon
Up to about 115,000 feet
Every day, weather stations worldwide release balloons to observe the sky. After a weather balloon floats high enough to pop, its instruments fall to the earth gently with help from a parachute. If you find a fallen instrument package in the United States, you can mail it back to the U.S. National Weather Service for reuse.
100,000 feet (19 miles)
120,000 feet above sea level
(23 miles)
100 feet
“The Pumpkin”
NASA super
pressure balloon.
Scientific research balloon
Up to about 120,000 feet
High-altitude balloons allow scientists to test new instruments and get a closer look at the sky. Some balloons can stay in the air for weeks or even months.
40 feet
Balloon
Parachute
Weather balloon
Up to about 115,000 feet
Every day, weather stations worldwide release balloons to observe the sky. After a weather balloon floats high enough to pop, its instruments fall to the earth gently with help from a parachute. If you find a fallen instrument package in the United States, you can mail it back to the U.S. National Weather Service for reuse.
100,000 feet (19 miles)
A graphic showing objects found in the sky between about 100,000 and 80,000 feet above sea level, including an illustration of a U.F.O.
2004 Navy U.F.O. sighting
About 80,000 feet
The U.S. government documents and investigates scores of unidentified aerial phenomena. In one encounter with U.F.O.s in 2004, two Navy fighter planes tried to follow the flying objects.
80,000 feet (15 miles)
10 feet
2004 Navy U.F.O. sighting
About 80,000 feet
The U.S. government documents and investigates scores of unidentified aerial phenomena. In one encounter with U.F.O.s in 2004, two Navy fighter planes tried to follow the flying objects.
10 feet
80,000 feet (15 miles)
A graphic showing objects found in the sky between about 80,000 and 60,000 feet above sea level, including illustrations of the Chinese spy balloon and a U.S. spy plane.
U-2 spy plane
Above 70,000 feet
The U.S. military used U-2 spy planes to study the Chinese spy balloon and take high-resolution images of its equipment.
10 feet
Chinese spy balloon
About 60,000 to 65,000 feet
The balloon spent five days above the continental United States, traveling in a diagonal southeastern route from Idaho to the Carolinas.
About the size
of three buses
60,000 feet (11 miles)
U-2 spy plane
Above 70,000 feet
The U.S. military used U-2 spy planes to study the Chinese spy balloon and take high-resolution images of its equipment.
10 feet
Chinese spy balloon
About 60,000 to 65,000 feet
The ball
