Stratospheric Balloon Telescope Peeks Above The Clouds At The Sun

What happened

That’s what the SUNRISE III mission did back in 2024, and scientists have had time to compile a series of three scientific papers on the results from that mission, which have been published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters. There’s lots of things you can do with balloons.

Children’s birthday parties come to mind, as do retirement parties. Stratospheric Balloon Telescope Peeks Above The Clouds At The Sun By Andy Tomaswick - October 10, 2026 11:30 AM UTC | Solar Astronomy There’s lots of things you can do with balloons.

The Earth’s atmosphere is turbulent, which can smear fine details of solar observation, such as the smallest magnetic features on the Sun. Lifting instruments above most of Earth’s atmosphere significantly sharpens the picture, and a balloon provides that benefit without all the mechanical constraints of a true rocket launch. SUNRISE III included a series of instruments, such as a 1m solar telescope, hanging from a gondola underneath a helium balloon cruising at roughly 35 km.