Strange Balloon Spotted Floating Across Denver Metro Area
A peculiar balloon was seen drifting across the Denver metro area on Friday morning, catching the attention of many residents. While it appeared mysterious, the oddly shaped white-clear orb in the sky isn’t a mystery at all—it’s advanced technology, similar to a weather balloon.
FOX31 viewers first reported the sighting in Johnstown early Friday. By 7:20 a.m., SkyFOX tracked it down over Longmont. A close-up image of the balloon, captured by a FOX31 viewer’s telescope, revealed more details.
According to World View Enterprises, a space exploration and technology company, the balloon is known as a Stratollite balloon. Unlike traditional weather balloons that burst at high altitudes, this sophisticated system is designed to fly and navigate in the stratosphere for extended periods. “This is a more sophisticated system that allows us to fly and navigate in the stratosphere for days, weeks, and months at a time,” said Phil Wocken of World View Enterprises.
Wocken explained that the balloon had been launched from northern Arizona the previous Saturday and was “carrying a payload for NASA.” It was flying at an impressive 73,000 feet, well above commercial airspace.
The National Weather Service also commented on the balloon via a post on X, clarifying that it wasn’t one of their weather balloons and referring to it as a “research flight.”
The balloon’s mission? To study solar radiation in the stratosphere, though its capabilities extend to tracking wildfires, storm systems, and greenhouse gases.
According to Wocken, the balloon was expected to hover over the Denver metro area for much of Friday morning before the winds would carry it southwest.
