Solar Telescope Reaches 120,000 Feet on Jumbo-Jet-Sized Balloon

ucar.edu — NCAR and its research partners have successfully launched a solar telescope to an altitude of 120,000 feet, borne by a balloon larger than a Boeing 747 jumbo jet. The test clears the way for long-duration polar balloon flights beginning in 2009 that will capture unprecedented details of the sun's surface.