A balloon-carried light effect is a special effect carried by a balloon, which can be fixed with a rope to the ground or free-flying. They are commonly misidentified as "Unidentified Flying Objects" by members of public.
Balloon-carried light effects can be used without safety concerns at events with a lot of people, because unlike fireworks they do not require the use of flammable substances. The brightness is much lower, when non-dangerous light sources such as lightsticks or battery-powered lamps are used.
Balloon-carried light effects cannot replace fireworks, but supplement them, because of their long lighting time (if lightsticks or battery powered lamps are used) and because of their inherent safety.To realise a balloon-carried light effect, one or more balloons are used, capable of carrying a lightstick or a small battery powered lamp. Further it is possible to insert one or two small lightsticks into a transparent balloon.
It is also possible for larger balloon-carried light effects to use tethered balloons, which also can contain an electric cable power supply: these 'artificial moons' may be used for floodlighting.
Balloon-carried light effects are sometimes used on open-air concerts and similar events. For film and event use, balloons are offered as suspended air-filled or tethered floating helium-filled. The latter for outdoors uses a 2-meter diameter balloon and 4 1000 Watt halogen tungsten lights inside, rising up about 10 m and withstanding only calm winds.
Other uses included fixed or pole balloons, spread like an umbrella, the upper half reflective coated, the lower half semi-opaque, light construction sites on highways, or accident sites in case of emergency.