Moon balloon

Bad Astronomy
By Phil Plait
Aug 21, 2011 4:00 PMNov 19, 2019 8:30 PM

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Last Tuesday was back-to-school day for TLA*. On that day we got up early for the first time in a long time, prepped her, and with remarkably little fuss got her sent out the door. ... only to have her banging on the door literally ten seconds later. Figuring we had forgotten something, Mrs. BA and I opened the door, whereupon TLA said "Come see this!" We went outside, and this is what we saw:

[Click to hotairinflatenate.] I ran back inside to grab my camera, and there ya go. We get lots of hot air balloons around here -- the view of the foothills and Rockies must be stunning from up there -- but I've never had such a perfectly framed shot like this one before. Sometimes I like to use pictures like this as an excuse to talk about science -- adiabatic expansion would fit here, or perspective and distance -- but you know what? I think this is fine pretty much as it is.


^* The Little Astronomer, who's not so little anymore.

^† Decidedly not her real name, either.


Related posts: - Ephemeral snow and ancient rock - Boulder fire from space - Boulder fire damage seen from space - Pikes Peak

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