Students at a Somerset County school are learning about climate change.

The astronomy class at Thomas Edison Energysmart Charter School in Somerset launched a high-altitude weather balloon into the sky on Friday. Students spent hours planning and designing the balloon.

The project is part of the New Jersey Department of Education’s Climate Change Week initiative. They will track and gather data about temperature, pressure and altitude.

“I thought it was a really interesting idea, and I just had never thought of something like this before,” says student Jesley Mitchell. “I was really excited to challenge myself with something….and just getting to learn more about what we could do to improve the environment.”

The students will examine the device and analyze their findings once the balloon lands.