Here's something you won't see in America, but I plan to bring back with me the next time I'm home. It's wonderful to see them floating in the night sky.
"Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are airborne paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground." (Wikipedia)
Tonight I bought a lantern for you to see how it works. Half-way through the video I turned the camera to get a better perspective as it rose in the sky, but unfortunately the playback video doesn't make the adjustment too. you'll have to turn your head sideways!
"Sky lanterns, also known as Kongming Lantern are airborne paper lanterns traditionally found in some Asian cultures. They are constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a small candle or fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. When lit, the flame heats the air inside the lantern, thus lowering its density causing the lantern to rise into the air. The sky lantern is only airborne for as long as the flame stays alight, after which the lantern floats back to the ground." (Wikipedia)
Tonight I bought a lantern for you to see how it works. Half-way through the video I turned the camera to get a better perspective as it rose in the sky, but unfortunately the playback video doesn't make the adjustment too. you'll have to turn your head sideways!