Weather balloon disappears over Lake Erie during eclipse
*Above video shows safety tips for during severe storms*
LORAIN, Ohio (WJW) — While people were looking up at the Total Solar Eclipse Monday, a sophisticated weather instrument was coming down, and it wasn’t supposed to.
Lorain police issued an alert asking the public to keep an eye out for a lost eclipse weather device called a high-altitude weather kit that could wash up on the shore.
What were the red bursts coming from behind the moon during the eclipse?
According to Purdue University’s web page, it appears they didn’t launch your basic weather balloon, but instead, it’s a 10-foot weather kit version of a weather balloon sending it, “into the stratosphere to see how various payloads react to the different altitudes, heat, and cold during the eclipse.”
You can see a version of a weather kit designed for the eclipse by clicking here.
The balloon was launched from Purdue University Fort Wayne, a satellite campus of Purdue University. The balloon was meant to capture important data about the eclipse for educational purposes, according to Lorain police.
Watch: Why did romance heat up in Ohio during eclipse?
“Unfortunately, the weather balloon went down in Lake Erie, just off the coast of Lorain (Lat. 41.5391; Lon. -82.2045) at 5:40 p.m. on the day of the eclipse. We are asking that anyone who may have come across the weather balloon, or the payloads attached to it, or knows anyone who has, please contact Lt. Morris at (440) 204-2570 so that the equipment can be returned to our friends at Purdue University and the data can be used to educate our public for years to come,” police wrote.
Morris told Fox 8 News Tuesday night that the weather instrument poses no risk and no danger, but they would just like to return the kit to the rightful owners.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
