This is what fireworks look like when they go off:
But this is also what fireworks look like when they go off:
The difference is that this second set of images is all visualizations of the sound of fireworks, not photos of the fireworks in the visual spectrum. And nonetheless, they are spectacular, these controlled explosions. Here’s what they sound like, clockwise from upper left:
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Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
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They’re by soundscalpel.com (freesound.org), SoundCollectah (freesound.org), SoundCollectah (again: freesound.org), and dobroide (freesound.org). Happy new year.
(Top photo by photobunny, aka Earl, from flickr.com, used per Creative Commons license. Technically, those are Labor Day fireworks, not New Year fireworks.)
PS: Another fireworks-related entry from earlier this year, documenting the relaxation of a fireworks ban in China: “Chinese Red Glare & Blare.”