The Olympic Cauldron Is Nearly 100 Feet Tall But Isn't Actually on Fire — Here's How the 'Flames' Are Produced
Rather than utilizing gas, the flaming effect is created with 40 LED lights and misting nozzles
This year's Olympic cauldron is grandiose — but not quite flaming.
As the French and tourists have flocked to the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris to see the spectacular Olympic cauldron up close following its debut at the 2024 Summer Games opening ceremony, many have noticed that while glowing, it's not actually blazing.
That was a choice, organizers say, as to avoid utilizing carbon fuels to light the cauldron for nearly three weeks, IOC spokespeople said during a press conference in Paris on July 27.
Instead, the nearly 100-feet-high cauldron's 22-feet ring of "flames" is 100% electric and thanks to water and light, a media release provided to PEOPLE explains. According to the release, it's "a meticulous combination of a cloud of mist and beams of light."
In all, there are 40 LED spotlights in use to light the mist cloud, which is being created by 200 "high-pressure misting nozzles."
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And that special spectacle continues when the hot air balloon-shaped cauldron is lifted nearly 200 feet into the air every night during the Games. The release notes that at this height, it can be seen throughout Paris and beyond.
To witness the cauldron of light in the City of Light, 10,000 people per day were able to book spots to get up close before its daily flight, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. All the slots have currently been filled.
The Olympic torch went on a lengthy journey around France before arriving to Paris for the July 26 celebrations and official torch lighting. The flame was first lit in Athens back in April, and eventually boarded a boat to enter France in Marseille.
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Read the original article on People.