Columbia Scientific Balloon Assembly -- EBEX Flight # 598N
Seen from home - Flagstaff, AZ
Launched from Ft. Sumner, New Mexico
EBEX (http://groups.physics.umn.edu/cosmology/ebex/) is a balloon-borne polarimeter designed to measure the intensity and polarization of the cosmic microwave background radiation.
After seeing alerts that the balloon was crossing central Arizona, I ran outside with my family. To the naked eye, it was brilliant against the twilight and definitely non-stellar in appearance. We got a great look at the balloon and payload through 15 x 70 binoculars. At one point it went through a striking color phase with a delicate pink base and yellow-orange top. I ran in, grabbed the telescope and camera. The great color was gone. but it still cooperated for a few photos. The magnified inset in this image is a stack of 7 photos at 1/30 and 1/60 sec, ISO 1600 with a Canon EOS 300D and 2X Barlow through an Orion XT8 Dobsonian (8" f/5.9).
