Sky Lanterns Aka Fire Lanterns: Technology Reduces Danger of Fantastic Centuries-old Tradition

Sky Lanterns are large celebratory paper creations of arrayed colors that glorify any favorable night with their vibrant illuminating beauty as they rise in the sky and float on air currents, ever captivating the eye of every spectator and entrancing his mind until with bright flames expired, the symbols of ancient tradition drift down to Earth. Even a simultaneous display of fireworks does not compete with such a mesmerizing spectacle.

In the mid-2000s, Sky Lanterns- which can be at least as large as 2x3 feet- arrived in Europe. They were typically made of flame-retardant rice paper around a bamboo frame housing a flame-producing fuel unit using candle, wax paper, or a petroleum-soaked cloth that when lit heats the air. The heat thins the air density thus causing a lantern to rise. But the Sky Lantern imports were expensive and they were dangerous. The Thai Sky Lanterns dripped large blobs of burning wax; the Chinese ones dripped liquid spirits or toxic fuels.

In 2006, Sky Lanterns went modern when TNT Sales, known as The Sky Lantern on the Internet, came out with their cost-efficient Original Fire Retardant Sky Lantern invention after commissioning MH Manufacturing in Dongguan, China, to create a low-drip fuel and flame-retardant paper with the right volume-to-weight ratio that when combined with the right amount of heat would allow the new paradigm Sky Lantern to achieve exceptional height, glow vibrantly, and not catch fire. The company does online retail sales and also sells wholesale- in Asia and Europe, and, with shipping out of Michigan, the U.S. Its 100% guarantee backs its products.

Used for centuries to celebrate events such as welcoming the New Year, Sky Lanterns are used year-round by the Northern Thai people for any celebration, sometimes along with fireworks. To some, a man's releasing of a Sky Lantern is symbolic of his troubles floating away, leaving him with only good fortune. Europeans use them for the following jubilees- weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and New Year revelry.

The USA is beginning to use Sky or Fire Lanterns for the same jubilees as well as for Independence Day, July 4. Yet, on August 30, 2009 in Australia, shortly before a potentially-severe bushfire season, Consumer Affairs Minister Dr. Craig Emerson imposed a supply-and-sale ban on Sky Lanterns that could last up to eighteen months and may lead to a permanent ban.

On this New Year's Eve 2009-2010, on either side of midnight, people around the UK set off their pyrotechnic displays and released thousands of Sky Lanterns that drifted over cityscapes and landscapes. A sky watcher unaware of the release of Sky Lanterns could mistake them for fireballs (particularly bright meteors), which was the case. Numerous reports of fireball sightings were made to the Society for Popular Astronomy (SPA). While many were false, some may have been genuine.

Sky Lanterns should be released in calm conditions- with no wind and no rain. The Sky Lantern website gives full safety instructions. Here is a paraphrased excerpt: Always have water or fire extinguishers handy. Wear gloves and fireproof clothes. Keep hair away from the flames. Supervise children in launch area. Avoid sources of ignition. No one under the influence of alcohol should handle or ignite the lanterns. Never use near airports or wherever they could be misinterpreted as a distress signal. The Sky Lantern website also explicitly instructs on how to properly release Sky Lanterns.

Sky Lanterns have many names- sky candles, Chinese Flying Lanterns, Himmelslaternen, Sky Laternen, UFO balloons, fire balloons, Khoom Fai (fire lantern), Khoom Loi (floating lantern), and Kung Ming, the reverent address for Zhuge Liang (181-234AD), a statesman, military strategist, and scholar who was credited with inventing the Sky Lantern in China 1,800 years ago- a belief that Sinologist and Science Historian Joseph Needham discredits by noting that the Chinese experimented with mini hot-air balloons as early as the 3rd century BC.

The fascinating creations of paper and flame are said to rise upwards to 1,500 feet and float until its fuel is exhausted, which may take up to twenty minutes. Then, the silent Sky Lanterns drift down to the ground.

To learn about astronomical Fireballs, click here.
^{_{Sources: en.wikipedia.org; anytoys.co.uk; ecrater.com; wattzdog.com; urlesque.com; alp.org.au; The photo is by http://www.flickr.com/photos/morebyless/ / CC BY 2.0.}}