Searching the skies

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At Easter, we went to Nungarin Military Museum to watch them operate a searchlight which was in use during World War II. When first found, the searchlight was in a number of pieces. It was restored over several years by some enthusiasts. It wasn’t an easy task as no-one knew anything about it and there was no manual. The lamp works very similarly to an arc welder but this one burns carbon rods. The intense heat gives a brilliant light which reflects in the highly polished reflector and is then focussed through the magnifying lenses at the front. I do know that once the light is operational, it needs continual and minute adjustments by an operator. That’s about all I know about the light so please don’t ask me any technical questions. The photo is mine. The yellow spot just above the beam on the right-hand side is the moon.