Hot air and gas balloons rise into a clear desert sky. Thousands of spectators and pilots came to Albuquerque, New Mexico, on Saturday. They launched the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

People come to the nine-day gathering each fall. They watch as pilots unpack giant balloons. The colorful inflatables took flight after a brief weather delay. Propane burners roared. Hundreds of balloons rose to speckle the sky with color.

“The mass ascension is just magical, unlike anything in the world really that I’ve seen,” says Paul Kluzak. He has come twice before from Phoenix, Arizona. This year, he wears a one-foot-tall hat shaped like a balloon. 

Ordinarily, cool morning temperatures at dawn can help hot air balloon pilots stay aloft longer. They can carry more weight. But the morning air was unusually warm on opening day. 

When the mornings are cool, the balloons need less fuel to rise. Pilots explain that ballooning is all about generating lift. Hot air rises. So they heat the air inside the envelope to temperatures greater than what is on the outside. (The envelope is the part of the balloon that holds gas or air.)

Other balloons use a gas, such as hydrogen, to float. That gas is lighter than air. Read about gas ballooners here. 

Your steadfast love is great to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. — Psalm 57:10