Name That Firework!

No Fourth of July celebration would be complete without fireworks – but do you know what you’re looking at?  Here’s a quick cheat sheet of some popular ones.

Brocade: (at left) A spider like effect in the sky, much like fine lace. The brocade effect is generally a silver tail effect, and is brighter than the willow or tiger tail effect. Most brocade effects use glitter to produce the long brocade tails.

Chrysanthemum:  (at right) A flower-like aerial pattern, usually resulting from a mortar.

Comet: (at left) A type of star that leaves a long trail of sparks as it flies through the air.

Waterfall (at right):
Glowing embers that fall slowly in the air, creating a willow or waterfall effect.

Flying Fish: (at left)
An aerial effect that looks like a swarm of objects squirming though the air. This effect usually lasts only a few seconds. The “fish” are actually a type of fuse that propels itself through the air, creating a swimming effect.

Strobe: (at right). A strobe is a blinking effect. When used in a shell with hundreds of strobe stars, the strobe effect looks like shimmering water in the sky. Strobes can be a variety of colors, including white, green, blue, and orange.