Near-infrared solar absorption spectra have been recorded in the course of balloon flights from Palestine, Texas, (32 degree N latitude) in May 1976, and Broken Hill, Australia, (30 degree S latitude) in March 1977. The northern flight was made at a float altitude of 37 km and covered the spectral region from 1800 cm** minus **1 to 3600 cm** minus **1, which encompasses infrared transitions of O//3, CH//4, CO, CO//2, N//2O, H//2O, and HCl. The flight in the southern hemisphere, from a float altitude of 39 km, covered the spectral region from 2800 cm** minus **1 to 4500 cm** minus **1, which includes useful transitions for all of the above gases (with the exception of CO) and encompasses as well the 1-0 fundamental band for HF. Both sets of spectra were acquired at sunset by using a high-resolution (0. 13 cm** minus **1) Michelson interferometer. The simultaneous profiles of concentration derived from the spectra for the individual gases covered in each flight are presented and discussed.