University of Tartu weather station opens with global balloon challenge
This week, thousands self-designed aerological balloons equipped with cameras will be sent to the sky all over the world, which enable to observe the Earth from a bird-eye view. Estonians participate in the global balloon challenge for the first time. The team of the University of Tartu (UT) will send their balloon up on April 24, as part of opening ceremony of the new weather station located on the roof of the Institute of Physics.
According to Piia Post, an associate professor of meteorology and climatology at the university, the UT team participates in the global balloon challenge with the intention to introduce meteorology to school students. “University students will prepare the balloon for launching, while schoolchildren will send it up and later monitor and analyze the data received from the balloon.“
The plan is to send the balloon to the height of 25-30 kilometers and once it has filled its purpose by transmitting data, it will be lost. Specialists at the university presume that the weather balloon will land somewhere in Russia.
Participation in the global balloon challenge and opening of the new weather station are part of the program for celebrating 150th anniversary of the weather observatory in the University of Tartu.
Editor: S. Tambur