# Photographing the Curvature of the Earth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [February 22, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289 "2011-02-22T23:22:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TravisFromOR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cc9497/32.png) [@TravisFromOR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TravisFromOR)\
**Post date:** [February 22, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289/1 "2011-02-22T23:22:14Z")

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I want to do this with a cheap digital camera and a weather balloon. It’s been done before, but I want to know if I need any permits to launch a high altitude balloon.

What else must I do to do this legally?

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**Author:** ![FuzzyOgre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@FuzzyOgre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuzzyOgre)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289/2 "2011-02-23T02:25:58Z")

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Just today I phoned Praxair about purchasing some helium for a balloon photography project. I was told the smallest bottle they carry would cost me over 100 bucks, and that it would fill 90 party balloons to 14 inches diameter.

Hydrogen is an option, though I bet I will need a permit. And I am not sure if it will leak through the latex in these balloons I am thinking about using.

[http://www.shindigz.com/images/itm\_img/8web1030.jpg](http://www.shindigz.com/images/itm_img/8web1030.jpg)

They are called punch balloons.

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**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\
**Post date:** [February 23, 2011, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289/3 "2011-02-23T02:34:07Z")

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[It will cost you for only $150 to do it all](http://space.1337arts.com/).

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**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\
**Post date:** [February 24, 2011, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/photographing-the-curvature-of-the-earth/572289/4 "2011-02-24T13:02:21Z")

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The only thing I can think of would be to contact the [FAA](http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/pdx/contact/) at the airport so they’re aware of your launch time. I bet they’d be able to give you all kinds of info on how to launch the balloon without getting The Man after you.