This is what it looks like when a weather balloon explodes

Every day, meteorologists across the globe launch about 1,600 helium or hydrogen-filled weather balloons to help with their forecasts. They are a primary source of weather data aboveground.

So what happens when the balloons fly to high in our atmosphere?

According to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Colorado wondered that, as well. They attached a GoPro camera to a balloon to find out.

The researchers shared a serious of stunning photos that show a weather balloon reaching 100,000 feet above the Earth's surface in Colorado.

Since higher altitudes have lower air pressure, the balloon expands to the point of explosion.

Photo: American Meteorological Society

Each photo is 0.02 seconds apart, so you can see the the point at which the balloon shatters then shreds to the opposite side.

Once the balloon explodes, the device used to collect data and the GoPro drift to the ground on a plastic parachute.