An Azimuth-Stabililzed Balloon Platform

In the study of Zodiacal Light, an interesting task is the determination of the intensity and the position of this glow on the celestial sphere. The problem of photographing this phenomenon from the earth’s surface has been hampered generally by the inevitable presence of the atmosphere between the camera and the object. However, it is expected that at the height of some thirty kilometers above the earth, the atmospheric haze will be reduced enough so that pictures of the zodiacal region may be obtained without significant absorption. To accomplish this, it is necessary to keep the balloon-borne camera pointed in the desired direction while the photograph is taken. It is the purpose of this thesis to design a mechanism which maintains proper orientation of the camera