The talk around the country lately has been of spy balloons and UFOs, but there are many identified balloons that are launched daily across the country.
Twice a day, weather balloons nationwide are released at the same time with an attached instrument called a radiosonde. This provides valuable data for meteorologists to make forecasts.
The weather balloons are different than the one suspected of being used by China to spy that was spotted over American airspace in late January and early February.
Weather balloons can expand to as much as 20 feet in diameter which is not easily visible at higher altitudes.
The alleged spy balloon was 200 feet tall, according to U.S. officials, and could be seen from the ground.
Another difference is flight time — while the Chinese balloon floated overhead for at least several days, weather balloon flights only last for a couple of hours before eventually popping.
Flight altitude is another difference. Weather balloons can rise up to over 100,000 feet before popping due to the falling air pressure.
The balloon coming from China flew around 60,000 feet during its trek before being shot down by the U.S. military off the Carolina coast.
Of the more than 90 locations that launch weather balloons in the U.S., three are found in Arizona, including Tucson, Flagstaff, and Phoenix. The National Weather Service in Phoenix, in partnership with Salt River Project, will launch weather balloons during monsoon season.
