Is It a Balloon?
Look at a Ghast through a Spyglass
Overview
Is It a Balloon? is a task advancement in the Adventure tab of Minecraft's advancement system, carrying the in-game description "Look at a Ghast through a Spyglass." It branches directly off Is It a Bird?, so that earlier advancement is its prerequisite and must be earned first. The Adventure tab covers advancements focused on exploration, combat, trading, and interacting with the world and its inhabitants. Is It a Balloon? was added in Minecraft 1.17, from the Caves & Cliffs update, and remains part of the current 1.21 advancement set.
It is rated Medium difficulty on this site: requires some preparation or specific resources. Part of normal gameplay progression. It uses the standard task frame, meaning it is a normal step in the tree rather than a goal or challenge milestone. One further advancement, Is It a Plane?, is gated behind it.
In tree terms, Is It a Balloon? sits second along its line: the full path from the Adventure root reads Adventure -> Is It a Bird? -> Is It a Balloon?. That means 2 advancements must be completed before this one becomes available, and Is It a Balloon? is one of 40 total advancements in the Adventure tab. No other advancement shares its parent, so it is the only thing that branches from Is It a Bird?.
How to Complete Is It a Balloon?
Earning Is It a Balloon? comes down to the following, performed in order:
- Use a spyglass to look at a Ghast in the Nether.
- Craft the spyglass and bring it to the Nether, then zoom in on a Ghast floating in the distance.
Tips & Fastest Route
Tips & Fastest Route- Fastest route: Bring a spyglass to the Nether and zoom in on a distant ghast.
- Ghasts drift over open areas like Soul Sand Valley, giving you a clear line to zoom in on.
- Make sure Is It a Bird? is already ticked off before you start, otherwise Is It a Balloon? will not be tracked even if you perform the steps correctly.
- At Medium difficulty, Is It a Balloon? is a routine step once you have the prerequisites in hand; no special grinding is usually needed beyond the items the steps call for.
Common Mistakes
Common Mistakes- Remember that Is It a Balloon? will not appear as available until Is It a Bird? is done, since the game only tracks an advancement once its parent has been unlocked.
Reward & What It Unlocks
Reward & What It UnlocksCompleting Is It a Balloon? grants 10 experience points. The XP drops at your position the moment the advancement fires.
Earning it unlocks Is It a Plane?, which becomes the next step along this branch of the tree.
Details
Advancement ID
Category
Version AddedAdvancement Tree
Parent Advancement
Child Advancements (1)
Is It a Balloon? Advancement FAQ
How do you get the Is It a Balloon? advancement in Minecraft?
Bring a spyglass to the Nether and zoom in on a distant ghast. In full, use a spyglass to look at a Ghast in the Nether. Craft the spyglass and bring it to the Nether, then zoom in on a Ghast floating in the distance.
What do you need for Is It a Balloon??
Before you can work on it you must have completed Is It a Bird?. Use a spyglass to look at a Ghast in the Nether. Craft the spyglass and bring it to the Nether, then zoom in on a Ghast floating in the distance.
Which advancement tab is Is It a Balloon? in?
Is It a Balloon? is in the Adventure tab, hanging beneath Is It a Bird?. Its in-game advancement ID is minecraft:adventure/spyglass_at_ghast.
Is Is It a Balloon? part of the Is It a Bird? branch?
Yes. Is It a Balloon? sits directly below Is It a Bird? in the Adventure tree, so you must earn Is It a Bird? first. Completing Is It a Balloon? then opens Is It a Plane?.
How much XP does Is It a Balloon? give and how hard is it?
Is It a Balloon? awards 10 XP and is rated Medium difficulty.
When was Is It a Balloon? added to Minecraft?
Is It a Balloon? was added in Minecraft Java Edition 1.17 and is present in the current 1.21 advancement set.