Numerous red balloons floating off the coast of Florida's panhandle this week may be an unwelcome and alarming sight for some residents amid recent reports of American fighter jets shooting down unfamiliar flying objects.
But, according to Eglin Air Force Base, it's just part of a planned weather experiment by the Naval Postgraduate School. The base said a little over a dozen red balloons will be set free in the winter sky.
“Each day, balloons will be released between 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. to collect weather data for a Naval Postgraduate School research project to understand the physical interaction between the lower atmosphere and the upper ocean,” the base said in a Feb. 10 press release.
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The balloons started being released on Saturday from Topsail Hill Preserve State Park near Santa Rosa Beach and will continue through Feb. 20, according to the press release.
Ilka Cole, a spokesperson for Eglin Air Force Base, said there was no concern about raising alarm with the local community, adding that residents in the surrounding area have become accustomed to the base releasing balloons.
“Release of small weather balloons is part of our daily operations,” Cole said in an emailed statement to Military.com. “The local public is accustomed to Eglin conducting these missions. We notified the public to ensure they were aware the balloons…
