HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— Students from the Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences marked their school year's end with a high-flying science experiment.
The robotics class launched their annual high-altitude weather balloon from the campus in drums.
This year's marks a first, with students aiming for a nighttime launch to capture the earth's curvature at sunset.
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Juniors and seniors spent months preparing the helium balloon, camera equipment, and payload to reach and capture the view more than 100-thousand feet in the air.
"It was definitely really nerve-wracking, like all throughout school I was like stressing, but it was so relieving and a really good memory to be able to say that that happened today in my senior year," expressed Paige Greco, senior, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
"A lot of people don't think that much work goes into this stuff, but its great seeing all the work he put into it and then it's a simple thing. We launched a balloon to the sky, but to think about how much work went into it and the aftermath and everything, it's awesome," added Evan Thomas, senior, Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences.
Their instructor says they hope their cameras capture not just a stunning sunset, but possibly lightning from storms and city lights from far above.
The balloon should land somewhere near northwest New Jersey, with recovery planned for Saturday morning if it doesn't get stuck in a tree like last year's balloon.
