Author Topic: Sky lanterns! (Read 7530 times)

Charlotte · « **on:** 20 June, 2010, 11:21:23 pm »

The local pound shop is selling them - we've just set one go

*happy*

Jaded · « **Reply #1 on:** 21 June, 2010, 12:35:58 am »

Be careful out there

Rig of Jarkness · « **Reply #2 on:** 21 June, 2010, 07:12:23 am »

I hope you're not using the ones with bits of wire in that are causing so many problems for cattle ?

Julian · « **Reply #3 on:** 21 June, 2010, 09:39:39 am »

No, wire-free biodegradable ones.

jellied · « **Reply #4 on:** 21 June, 2010, 10:32:44 am »

I let some off on new year's eve having been given some by a friend who lives outta town.

of course living out of town means the laterns gracefully floated out into the distance till they merged with the twinkling stars.

on new year's eve in built up suburban didn't have the same atmosphere.

the few that managed to get airbourne soon vanished behind houses. whole family made a wish, Mrs Jellied's was along the lines "please god don't get stuck in a tree/sat dish and burn down the place down". seconds later the last one landed in next door's tree and we all beat a hasty retreat to watch Joolz Holland.

Gonna bring the reminder to the Richmond Sunset ride. Hoping for a west wind.

mrcharly-YHT · « **Reply #5 on:** 21 June, 2010, 10:43:49 am »

There were loads floating over York on Sat nights.

Cynical me keeps thinking "what happens if one of them lands on a flat tarred roof?"

Charlotte · « **Reply #6 on:** 21 June, 2010, 10:45:04 am »

Quote from: jellied on 21 June, 2010, 10:32:44 am

Gonna bring the reminder to the Richmond Sunset ride. Hoping for a west wind.

Genius idea!

Tigerrr · « **Reply #7 on:** 21 June, 2010, 11:48:14 am »

I and some chums set some off in March late at night, from a footbridge over a railway line in the sticks, to ensure we missed any trees. All went well until one of them failed to rise for some reason. - it just sank slowly down onto the railway track where it sat in the path of the London Exeter express like an emergency stop beacon, and the damn thing just woudn't go out.
Suddenly the fun drained out as we imagined the consequences of our fun and the prospect of arrest loomed.
In the event the train hammered through it giving a blast on the horn - I hope the driver didn't have a heart attack.
I am less of a fan of the lanterns now and all I can think about is flaming thatched roofs and crops, and cows with wire in them.

andygates · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 June, 2010, 02:32:24 pm »

OMG teh doomz.

Pretty!

Though not near coasts. There's always some grockle thinks they're distress flares and calls out the coastguard...

Jaded · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 June, 2010, 02:39:06 pm »

We set some off at a wedding in Bournemouth two weeks ago.

Coastguard and Airport informed beforehand.

The flight path was towards the beach, so no cows at risk.

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 June, 2010, 02:47:22 pm »

The wire supports the flame, are there lanterns which don't have that wire?

Valiant · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 June, 2010, 04:16:57 pm »

We had loads, ours were string supported underneath.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 June, 2010, 04:44:25 pm »

Jaded has quite a nice photograph of one just here.

Notsototalnewbie · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 June, 2010, 04:53:16 pm »

Apparently they have lots of these at Glasto; I'm looking forward to seeing them. Hopefully wire-free ones.

Riggers · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 June, 2010, 04:55:26 pm »

Quote from: Chris S on 21 June, 2010, 04:23:55 pm

The ones we have use string to support the burner (which seems to be a mass of cardboard impregnated with paraffin wax), a ring of bamboo at the base, and an envelope of rice paper. The label claims 99.9% biodegradability.

Amazing how it's always '99.9%' isn't it. D'you suppose that once it's very nearly bio-degraded, that little 0.1% will fester, lying dormant perhaps, when some unsuspecting fool will stumble close by, completely oblivious to his (or hers!) imminent danger, only to step on it and only later find they've got a Sky Lantern forming on their foot!

Exit Stage Left · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 June, 2010, 05:05:55 pm »

The wire free ones seem to use aluminium silicate fibre. High temperature insulation wool - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I pick them up when I see them littering the countryside, I've only ever found the type with wire in them.

Pancho · « **Reply #16 on:** 21 June, 2010, 05:20:05 pm »

We used to make these when we were kids (that'll be 30 years ago, then). The only limitation to size was that of ground handling before launch.

rogerzilla · « **Reply #17 on:** 21 June, 2010, 05:33:20 pm »

Took a while to get this one to lift:

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/4IYgxebO6hY&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/4IYgxebO6hY&rel=1</a>

alexb · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 June, 2010, 12:54:48 am »

and what happens when it all goes wrong...
Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist

Greenbank · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 June, 2010, 10:16:30 am »

They love them in South America. We were in Buenos Aries over Christmas a few years ago and on Christmas Eve there were hundreds in the sky. That, and the fireworks being let off everywhere, cause a significant number of fires in the city but they seem to just accept it and get on with it.

Jurek · « **Reply #20 on:** 22 June, 2010, 11:58:05 am »

Quote from: Notsototalnewbie on 21 June, 2010, 04:53:16 pm

Apparently they have lots of these at Glasto; I'm looking forward to seeing them. Hopefully wire-free ones.

Several of these were released by folk further up The Tor whilst we watched the sun setting last Saturday evening

PaulR · « **Reply #21 on:** 22 June, 2010, 12:08:43 pm »

Quote from: alexb on 22 June, 2010, 12:54:48 am

and what happens when it all goes wrong...
Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist

Veering off tiopic, have you seen the photo of the moon at Image 7, with the comment "The moon appears large because it is so close to the horizon." ?

How about: "The moon appears so large because this photograph was taken with a telephoto lens."? Hmmm? NewScientist indeed...

Greenbank · « **Reply #22 on:** 22 June, 2010, 12:15:09 pm »

Quote from: PaulR on 22 June, 2010, 12:08:43 pm

Quote from: alexb on 22 June, 2010, 12:54:48 am
and what happens when it all goes wrong...
Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist

Veering off tiopic, have you seen the photo of the moon at Image 7, with the comment "The moon appears large because it is so close to the horizon." ?

How about: "The moon appears so large because this photograph was taken with a telephoto lens."? Hmmm? NewScientist indeed...

But it is also because it's close to the horizon: Moon illusion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

PaulR · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 June, 2010, 12:19:38 pm »

Quote from: Greenbank on 22 June, 2010, 12:15:09 pm

Quote from: PaulR on 22 June, 2010, 12:08:43 pm
Quote from: alexb on 22 June, 2010, 12:54:48 am
and what happens when it all goes wrong...
Gallery - Picture of the day - Image 1 - New Scientist

Veering off tiopic, have you seen the photo of the moon at Image 7, with the comment "The moon appears large because it is so close to the horizon." ?

How about: "The moon appears so large because this photograph was taken with a telephoto lens."? Hmmm? NewScientist indeed...

But it is also because it's close to the horizon: Moon illusion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I'm aware of that "illusion" but when we're presented with a photograph of the moon behind an observatory several miles away, it's not exactly a case of us being tricked into thinking that the moon subtends more than its usual half a degree. Or is it? Maybe I should post a picture of a kitteh that looks really huge because of the "kitteh illusion".

clarion · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 June, 2010, 12:22:48 pm »

Can one see a kitteh when it's near the horizon?