Spitlight, Light projector at Enter Museum, Solothurn, Switzerland
The Spitlight is a large light projector at the Enter Museum that casts images onto clouds and rock faces. The device uses a carbon arc lamp and produces a beam that illuminates objects from great distances.
A Swiss engineer developed the device in the 1950s and presented it at the Winter Olympics. Since then it has been used for large events and public demonstrations.
The name Spitlight refers to the sharp point of light that the device projects into the landscape. This name captures how the beam cuts through and marks the surroundings.
The machine requires a lot of power and operates with special technical components, so it only runs under certain conditions. Visitors should check in advance when demonstrations happen and what weather is needed.
The beam becomes so hot that it can ignite cigarettes, a surprising side effect of its enormous light power. To create artificial clouds when natural ones are absent, ammonium chloride is used.
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