Lecture on Nature's Light Show

Auroras. Cave paintings from 30,000 years ago reference aurora borealis. Galileo termed aurora = sunrise, borealis = wind. Auroras created from the Sun's particles at 44,000 million miles from solar flares where it interacts with our upper atmosphere. The earths magnetic field causes these solar particles to push towards our poles (North and South). Oxygen and nitrogen give off the different colors. Aurora Australis = southern lights.

Glowworms. Found in dense forests, anywhere dark, warm, and wet. It is a larvae because they only live for 2-3 days as an adult. Larvae live for 8 months. Best display is in New Zealand.

Sea Sparkles. Living organisms that give off fluorescent colors. Noctiluca Scintillans are an algae that are the sea sparkle. The name of the phenomenon is called bioluminescent.

Firefly. Glow to attract a mate to them.

Bioluminescence vs biolfuorescense. You can't see bioflurorescence without an ultra violet light. You can see bioluminescence with your naked eye.

Scorpions. These gross creatures glow under UV light. The properties in their exoskeleton have anti fungal and anti parisital properties.

Hawksbill turtle, bandicoot, platypus, jellyfish, sea snails, wombats, polar bears, springhare, garden snail, coral, fish, bags, spiders, and amphibians can be bioflurorescent.

Corals eat sea monkeys.

Bioflurorescence does exist in the deep sea and polar region.

Millipede are both bioluminescent and bioflurorescent. Is it to deter predators? They produce cyanide so do they need both?

Firefly males can synchronize their flashing. They are a beetle, not a fly.

Glowing mushrooms (fungi) are also bioluminescent. Soft green is the common color. Only glow at night. Might glow to spread their spores from the bugs that are attracted to them.

Brittle stars have legs that glow. When a predator is close, they will drop the leg to distract the predator while they get away. They grow a new leg.

There are 57 different species of bioluminescent sharks.

Over 157 different species of shrimp can vomit out bioluminescense to distract predators and allow them to get away. The first color to disappear in the deep sea is red. Blue is the last color to disappear.

Comb jelly are bioluminescent with fun light displays by using their little hairs which creates a rainbow effect.Read more