Posted on 05/29/2023 12:41:01 PM PDT by MtnClimber
Explanation: What glows there? The answer depends: sea or sky? In the sea, the unusual blue glow is bioluminescence. Specifically, the glimmer arises from Noctiluca scintillans, single-celled plankton stimulated by the lapping waves. The plankton use their glow to startle and illuminate predators. This mid-February display on an island in the Maldives was so intense that the astrophotographer described it as a turquoise wonderland. In the sky, by contrast, are the more familiar glows of stars and nebulas. The white band rising from the artificially-illuminated green plants is created by billions of stars in the central disk of our Milky Way Galaxy. Also visible in the sky is the star cluster Omega Centauri, toward the left, and the famous Southern Cross asterism in the center. Red-glowing nebulas include the bright Carina Nebula, just right of center, and the expansive Gum Nebula on the upper right.
For more detail go to the link and click on the image for a high definition image. You can then move the magnifying glass cursor then click to zoom in and click again to zoom out. When zoomed in you can scan by moving the side bars on the bottom and right side of the image.
Very helpful map, thanks for posting
Beautiful. Reminds me of the movie “Life of Pi”
These bioluminescent plankton can get “activated” by the propeller on a torpedo. The glowing trail it left was one of the cues WWII sailors on deck watch would look out for. If you’re scuba diving at night in places where they occur, you’ll see these tiny glowing dots flicking off your flippers as you swim, as if you were kicking away fireflies.
If you are deep sea fishing at night the luminescence will trigger off your fishing line too.
Beautiful
Beautiful.
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