NASA launched a high-altitude scientific balloon from Antarctica carrying the GAPS experiment to search for antimatter particles, which could provide insights into dark matter; the balloon reached 120,000 feet, enabling frontier astrophysics research at a fraction of space mission costs.
Nintendo and Macy's announced a new Mario balloon will debut in the 99th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros., featuring a 51-foot-tall balloon of Mario in a flying pose, marking a historic milestone for the beloved character.
A janitor at King's High School in Tampa, Florida, captured eerie footage of a red balloon seemingly following him around a classroom and an empty hallway. The janitor also claimed that the school was built on top of a cemetery and previous janitors had reported strange occurrences. In the video, a shadowy figure is seen sprinting across the room, further adding to the creepy atmosphere. The school was found to have approximately 145 coffins buried underneath it, believed to be from a historic African-American cemetery dating back to the 1940s or 1950s.
The US Defense Department and Federal Aviation Administration have been tracking a balloon that was flying off the coast of Hawaii last week, but a defense official said Tuesday there’s no indication it is connected to China or any other adversary, and it presents no threats to aviation or national security. The balloon was floating at about 36,000 feet and did not fly over any critical defense infrastructure or sensitive sites. It’s not clear who owns the balloon, which has now passed out of Hawaii’s airspace.
US officials decided not to shoot down an unmanned balloon spotted off the coast of Hawaii after determining it did not pose a military or physical threat. The balloon did not fly over sensitive US government sites and did not pose a threat to civil aviation. The US does not know who owns the balloon, but there is nothing to suggest it is being handled by a "foreign or adversarial actor." The Defense Department and the FAA will continue to monitor the aircraft.