Fire in the Sky

We enjoy fireworks only on rare occasion, usually July 4, just as the night sky edges from dark blue to black. The first launch opens a show of light magic that is not to be missed. Over many centuries, starting in China, pyrotechnicians have built launch tubes to propel incendiary shells thousand of feet into the air. When the shell explodes, the embedded clusters ignite, emanating a spectrum of vibrant colors determined by their chemical composition. Shells vary in structure, producing different light patterns; firing patterns on the ground vary, too. The design choices allow for a light show that has real composition elements, like a symphony. It's risky, too: fireworks are designed to explode. And perhaps its the pairing of violent destruction ("disaster" means exploding star) with brief and beautiful fire that makes pyrotechnics unique among all inventions. Fireworks are not utilitarian, but they are wondrous--a treat for the human species. Every year, I'm glad to have witnessed--and participated in--another display of light spectacular.