Fact Check: Huge balloon in Hyderabad skyline is NOT a UFO or spaceship
On WhatsApp, the video was shared with the claim: “Strange white colour object in sky. People wondered if it was Planet or Star..or the planet Mars which came close to Earth and some wondered if its an alien ship or ufo? What exactly is this?”
Hyderabad: A video of a huge balloon in the sky is being circulated on the internet with the speculation that it might be a UFO (unidentified flying object) or a spaceship carrying aliens.
The video was viral on social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp on December 7, 2022.
ఆకాశంలో వింత ఆకారం.. హైదరాబాద్కు ఏలియన్స్.? | News18 Telugu
On WhatsApp, the video was shared with the claim: "Strange white colour object in sky. People wondered if it was Planet or Star..or the planet Mars which came close to Earth and some wondered if its an alien ship or ufo? What exactly is this?"
Later, another video showing the villagers of Mogaligidda near Vikarabad, located 100 km away from Hyderabad, tapping a huge circular object in the agricultural fields also went viral. The conversation of the villagers that it could be a spaceship as there were some lights fixed to it was also heard in the video.
Fact check:
The claim that the huge balloon found in the skyline of Hyderabad is a UFO is FALSE. It is a helium balloon sent for research by the National Balloon Facility.
According to a report published in Telangana Today, Planetary Society of India director Raghunandan stated that the balloon was being used for atmospheric studies with a payload. It carries an instrument weighing nearly 1,000 kg.
The report also mentioned that atmospheric research balloons help in calculating the pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed changes at various altitudes. Atmospheric sounding graphs are drawn with the information sent by these balloons, which help in predicting the weather.
According to a report in The News Minute, scientists confirmed that the balloon was released as part of an experimental research by the National Balloon Facility (NBF), associated with the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Hyderabad, to study the atmosphere.
G. Praveen Reddy, a lab assistant from NBF, stated that they sent an instrument into the sky in a hydrogen balloon at 5.30 am on December 7, 2022. After the necessary data required for the study was collected, the balloon was brought down with the help of a parachute guided by remote control, which made landfall in Vikarabad. He also stated that the research study was carried out in collaboration with scientists in Spain.
The same was published on other news websites too.
https://kalingatv.com/offbeat/
Another alert has been issued by TIFR about another launch of balloons which is going to take place between 10 Dec 2022 11pm to 24 Dec 2022 8am.
Therefore, the huge white balloon spotted in the skyline of Hyderabad is not a UFO or spaceship carrying aliens. The claim is FALSE.