The “bubble” set to be installed next year at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has a new name: The Bloomberg Balloon, following a major gift from Bloomberg LP.

Local videographer and DCist reader Raymond Schillinger read our post about yesterday’s celebration of aeronaut Thaddeus Lowe’s 1861 military balloon reconnaissance demonstration in front of the Smithsonian Castle, and sent in this video he recorded during the event, including a nice time-lapse of the balloon being inflated.

As I type, a huge balloon is being inflated on the National Mall. Has a challenge for a hot air balloon race around the world been issued? Sadly, no. But the real reason is pretty interesting, in its own way.