Now THAT'S a close encounter: Camera on weather balloon captures the dramatic moment a Delta Air Lines jet soars past just 500 feet above

  • The balloon was set off by Tory Carissimo from Honeoye, New York 
  • When it reached 37,000 feet a Delta Air Lines flight soared right past
  • The weather balloon eventually reached an altitude of 102,000 feet 

By Ted Thornhill for MailOnline

Published: 09:55 EST, 13 June 2017 | Updated: 12:10 EST, 13 June 2017

The incredible moment that a weather balloon was buzzed by an Airbus 319 has been caught on camera.

The balloon was set off by Tory Carissimo from Honeoye, New York, with a GoPro attached earlier this year – and when it reached 37,000 feet a Delta Air Lines flight soared right past.

Footage shows the flight, from Boston to Detroit, hurtling over the clouds towards the balloon as the object is buffeted by winds.

The incredible moment that a weather balloon was buzzed by an Airbus 319 has been caught on camera

The incredible moment that a weather balloon was buzzed by an Airbus 319 has been caught on camera

The plane, Flight 159, is flying just 500 feet higher.

Seconds later it zooms past and soars away into the distance, leaving vapour trails streaking across the blue sky.

The weather balloon eventually reached an altitude of 102,000 feet.

According to the video-maker, local airports were all informed of the balloon’s flight and the device contains radar-reflecting material.

The balloon was set off by Tory Carissimo from Honeoye, New York, with a GoPro attached earlier this year – and when it reached 37,000 feet a Delta Airline flight soared right past

The balloon was set off by Tory Carissimo from Honeoye, New York, with a GoPro attached earlier this year – and when it reached 37,000 feet a Delta Airline flight soared right past

Footage shows the flight, from Boston to Detroit, hurtling over the clouds towards the balloon as the object is buffeted by the winds

Footage shows the flight, from Boston to Detroit, hurtling over the clouds towards the balloon as the object is buffeted by the winds

Weather balloons are used to evaluate atmospheric pressure, temperature, humidity and wind speed and are usually filled with hydrogen or helium.

Some weather balloons are capable of reaching 132,000 feet – or around 25 miles.

A company called Mesoloft, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky, uses weather balloons to transport ashes, which are carried in a concertinaed container, to the edge of space.

GoPro cameras capture the scattering of the ashes some 75,000ft (22,860 metres) above Earth, so relatives and friends can watch.

The ashes can remain high up in the atmosphere for a couple of months, before gradually falling back to Earth, as part of rain or snowfall.   

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