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The Olympic Cauldron Looks Like a Fiery Hot Air Balloon
The unique design of the cauldron pays tribute to the first flight of the hot air balloon in the Tuileries Garden.
It's a bird! It's a plane — actually, it's the Olympic Cauldron.
The Olympic Opening Ceremony was filled with appearances from iconic athletes, dance shows, light displays, and performances by Celine Dion and Lady Gaga. But all of that was quite literally outshone when torchbearers Marie-José Pérec and Teddy Riner walked up to what looked like a hot air balloon and set it ablaze, sending it up into the sky.
But this is no ordinary hot air balloon, nor is it your typical cauldron. Instead, the organizers of the Paris Olympics recruited French designer Mathieu Lehanneur to create what they call a "new-generation hot-air balloon that carries a ring of fire with it."
RELATED: Where To Watch 2024 Paris Olympics: Complete Schedule
The innovative balloon stands 30-meters tall while the fire has a seven-meter diameter. Throughout the next two weeks, those attending the Games in Paris can see the balloon on the ground at the Jardin de Tuileries from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Once the sun sets, the balloon will rise up to 60-meters high, where it will stay in sight of thousands until being grounded at 2 a.m.
How Does the Paris Olympics Cauldron Work?
Environmentalists will be pleased to learn that the fire is technically "a flame without fuel made of water and light, that doesn't burn but illuminates," according to the EDF, which partnered with the Paris 2024 organizers to create the spectacle.
So, how does it work? Basically, water is sprayed and beams of light are projected onto the mist, creating the illusion of flames. "The ring of fire, almost [seven meters] in diameter, incorporates 40 LED spotlights to illuminate the cloud created by 200 high-pressure misting nozzles. Above all, EDF has succeeded in guaranteeing the flow of electricity and water 60 [meters] above the ground, when the Cauldron is in flight," they said in a press release.
Why a hot air balloon?
The Opening Ceremony often paid tribute to the French capital and the historic moments that have taken place within the city, and the Cauldron is no different.
The Cauldron pays homage to the first-ever documented air balloon flight, which took place in 1783. Piloted by scientist Pilâtre de Rozier and the Marquis d'Arlandes, the hot air balloon was developed using research by the Montgolfier brothers, the press release details.
Then, a few years later, Jacques Charles also made history when he flew into the sky in a hydrogen balloon in the Jardin de Tuileries.
To learn more about the influence Paris has had on the Olympic Games throughout the years, keep reading here.
