Student experiment films Earth from stratosphere

Two students have recorded video of the Earth from high in the atmosphere using homemade equipment, at a cost of just £350.

University of Sheffield PhD students Alex Baker and Chris Rose used a helium-filled balloon to send a foam box containing two small video cameras and a GPS tracker into the atmosphere.

Because of the very cold temperatures at high altitudes, they insulated the box with duct tape and included a small heat pad to keep the cameras warm.

The balloon is thought to have reached an altitude of 37km before popping, allowing a parachute inside to bring the equipment back to earth.

Launched in Derbyshire, the experiment was in flight for almost three hours before the box landed in a Cambridgeshire field more than 100 miles away.

Video courtesy Alex Baker and Chris Rose