A searchlight (or spotlight) is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.
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Military use [link]
The Royal Navy used searchlights in 1882 to prevent Egyptian forces from manning artillery batteries at Alexandria. Later that same year, the French and British forces landed troops under searchlights.[1]
By 1907 the value of searchlights had become widely recognized. One recent use was to assist attacks by torpedo boats by dazzling gun crews on the ships being attacked. Other uses included detecting enemy ships at greater distances, as signaling devices, and to assist landing parties. Searchlights were also used by battleships and other capital vessels to locate attacking torpedo boats and were installed on many coastal artillery batteries for aiding night combat. They saw use in the Russo-Japanese War from 1904–05.[2]
World War I [link]
Searchlights were first used in World War I to create "artificial moonlight" to enhance opportunities for night attacks, a practice which continued in World War II. Artificial moonlight was invented by historian and tank warfare theorist, Gen. J.F.C. Fuller. The term "artificial moonlight" was used to distinguish illumination provided by searchlights from that provided by normal moonlight, which was referred to as "movement light" in nighttime manoeuvers.[3]
World War II [link]
Searchlights were used extensively in defense against nighttime bomber raids during World War II. Controlled by sound locators and radars, searchlights could track bombers, indicating targets to antiaircraft guns and night fighters, and dazzling crews.
Searchlights were occasionally used tactically in ground battles. One famous occasion was the Soviets' use of seachlights during the Battle of Berlin in April 1945. 143 searchlights were directed at the German defense force across the Neisse River with the aim of temporarily blinding them during a Soviet offensive. However, the morning fog diffused the light and silhouetted the attacking Soviet forces, making them clearly visible to the Germans. The Soviets suffered heavy losses as a result and were forced to delay their invasion of the city.[citation needed]
World War II-era searchlights include models manufactured by General Electric and by the Sperry Company (of gyroscope fame). These were mostly of 60" (152.4 cm) diameter with rhodium plated parabolic mirror, reflecting a carbon arc discharge. Peak output was 800,000,000 candela. It was powered by a 15 kW generator and had an effective beam visibility of 28 to 35 miles (45 to 56 km) in clear low humidity.
Non-military use [link]
Today, searchlights are used in advertising, fairs, festivals and other public events. Their use was once common for movie premieres; the waving searchlight beams can still be seen as a design element in the logo of the 20th Century Fox movie studio, and Fox television network. The world's most powerful searchlight today beams from the top of the pyramid-shaped Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. The beam concentrates about 25,000,000 lumens from 39 7kW xenon lamps into its beam of about 40,000,000,000 candela. The brightness emanating from the Luxor lamp room is about twice that which emanates from an equal area of the sun's surface (about 95,000,000 cd/ft2 versus 45,000,000 cd/ft2).
See also [link]
- Mangin mirror
- Cathedral of light
- Tribute in Light
- Military applications of searchlight
References [link]
- FM 4-29 seacoast searchlights
- FM 4-111 Coast Artillery Field Manual, Antiaircraft Artillery, Position Finding and Control, Antiaircraft Search-lights (US War Department, 1940)
- FM 4-115
Notes [link]
- ^ Sterling, Christopher H.. Military Communications. ABC-CLIO. pp. 395–396. ISBN 978-1-85109-732-6.
- ^ Barry, Richard (1905). Port Arthur: A Monster Heroism. Moffat, Yard & Co.. pp. 324–325.
- ^ "Artificial Moonlight". Tactical and Technical Trends (US Army Military Intelligence Corps) (57). April 1945.
External links [link]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Searchlights |
- Sperry searchlight restoration project
- How Were World War II Searchlights Used? Information on a website commemorating the US 225th AAA Searchlight Battalion
- "Giant Lights Paint The Sky To Work New Magic" July Popular Mechanics -- i.e. early article on one of the first commercial use of searchlights.
- director restored [1]
- German Searchlights, a 1943 article from the U.S. War Dept.
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https://wn.com/Searchlight
Searchlights (album)
Searchlights is the first full-length album by Christian rock band Abandon. The album was released on August 25, 2009 through ForeFront Records.
Background
Abandon had released two full length albums as an independent band (Ambush and Who You Are), before being signed to Christian music label, ForeFront Records in 2007. Since being signed to ForeFront Records, Abandon has released two EPs, which feature songs that are on Searchlights. The first single off their first EP, "Providence", reached #7 on R&R's Christian rock charts. The song "Hold On", originally released as a single, was #1 for multiple weeks.
Track listing (U.S.)
Track listing (Japan)
Awards
In 2010, the album was nominated for a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards.
Personnel
References
External links
Trout
Trout is the common name for a number of species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera Oncorhynchus, Salmo and Salvelinus, all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word trout is also used as part of the name of some non-salmonid fish such as Cynoscion nebulosus, the spotted seatrout or speckled trout.
Trout are closely related to salmon and char (or charr): species termed salmon and char occur in the same genera as do trout (Oncorhynchus - Pacific salmon and trout, Salmo - Atlantic salmon and various trout, Salvelinus - char and trout).
Most trout such as lake trout live in freshwater lakes and/or rivers exclusively, while there are others such as the rainbow trout which may either live out their lives in fresh water, or spend two or three years at sea before returning to fresh water to spawn, a habit more typical of salmon. A rainbow trout that spends time in the ocean is called a steelhead.
Trout are an important food source for humans and wildlife including brown bears, birds of prey such as eagles, and other animals. They are classified as oily fish.
Trout (surname)
Trout is the surname of:
People:
Fictional characters:
Las truchas
Las Truchas ("Trouts") is a 1978 Spanish film directed by José Luis García Sánchez. It satirizes middle class society under the rule of Franco via a story about the annual dinner of a fishing club whose members eat rotten trout while refusing to accept that there is a problem with it. The film was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Bear.
