An 'artefact' that produces a brilliant light through the combustion of a pyrotechnic compound.
Derived from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_flare|Flares are used for signaling, illumination, or defensive countermeasures in civilian and military applications.|Flares may be ground pyrotechnics, projectile pyrotechnics, or parachute-suspended to provide maximum illumination time over a large area.