xoxoxoBruce Tuesday Dec 29 02:13 AMDec 29, 2009: Indoor Stars
Classicman wanted you to see these indoor "stars". The link is to a Pravda photo gallery, which says;
Quote:
Such "night skies" can be seen on ceilings of caves. Organisms living in the cave produce the light which resembles the star-studded sky at night
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Not much information.
I believe the pictures were probably taken at Waitomo cave, in New Zealand.
Quote:
The Waitomo glowworm, Arachnocampa luminosa, is unique to New Zealand. Thousands of these tiny creatures radiate their unmistakable luminescent light as our expert guides provide informative commentary on the Caves' historical and geological significance.
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If anybody has more, or different, information feel free to chime in.
capnhowdy Tuesday Dec 29 07:12 AMI love me some caves. Great pics.
classicman Tuesday Dec 29 09:07 AMSorry there wasn't any more info . . . Perhaps one of you internet search nerds might find something to share.
Adak Tuesday Dec 29 10:00 AMI recall going on a hike through an unfamiliar park one time.
It was a conditioning hike, but wound up being tougher than expected. The heat was a bigger factor than we thought it would be, and we were somewhat out of shape, with our heavy packs.
So we're nearing our campsite - someplace up ahead, but the sun has set and it is a moonless night. Hard to follow the trail, although the terrain was almost flat now.
We stopped to take a break, and have some water. We were sure tired.
Then we saw them - little green glowing things, and they were sprinkled sparsely near the trail! They were worms of some kind. They were attracted to the sides of the trail, where people had disturbed the ground with their hiking boots.
In all my years of hiking, I never saw those glowing worms in any other park.
The greatest "glow" story I've heard is the one about a fighter pilot trying to find his way back to his carrier. It's now a moonless night, and his plane has been shot up rather badly. Also, he's very low on fuel.
The carrier has it's lights out to prevent becoming an easy target for submarines that might be in the area.
As he's approaching where the carrier should be, his electronics wink out, and he's left flying blindly with no lights on his displays/gauges.
He figures "that's it, I'll have to try and ditch in the ocean", but then he see's this faint green glowing ribbon up ahead of him, in the water.
If his instrument lights had stayed working, or the moon had risen already, he'd never have seen it. Only in near total darkness, could he see the faint glow of the photoplankton than have been stirred up by a very large ship's propellers.
He followed that phosphorescent green ribbon, right to his carrier, and landed. (When the carrier deck crew heard his engine, they turned on the landing lights).
Coign Tuesday Dec 29 01:24 PMBack when I lived in Escondido, CA we went to visit the beach next to San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (nuclear power plant) at night. The hot water output from that power plant makes the algae much more plentiful than other locations. This leads to numerous occasions where you will see bioluminescent waves rolling in. It is just amazing to see the lit up ocean water rolling in.
WillieO Tuesday Dec 29 06:58 PMThe pilot story was also a scene from the movie "Appollo 13", told by Tom Hanks character.
glatt Tuesday Dec 29 08:23 PMI didn't go in these caves when I was in New Zealand ages ago, but I heard about them. If I remember correctly, these worms are moth larva. The have these long sticky strings that they hang down in order to trap flying insects to eat. They glow in order to attract the insects. Then I think they turn into moths (I'm sketchy on that detail) and sometimes get caught and eaten by their siblings.
They are beautiful to us, but they are like the Sirens to other insects. Deadly and beautiful.
Kasszia Wednesday Dec 30 01:52 AMAmazing! Thanks for posting Bruce! I'd love to see those in person. And the phosphorescence in the ocean too. For that matter, I'd just like to SEE the ocean sometime...
xoxoxoBruce Wednesday Dec 30 03:09 AMEh, the ocean is just a bigass pond.
classicman Wednesday Dec 30 08:45 AMlol - btw, thanks Bruce.
Shawnee123 Wednesday Dec 30 12:45 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kasszia
Amazing! Thanks for posting Bruce! I'd love to see those in person. And the phosphorescence in the ocean too. For that matter, I'd just like to SEE the ocean sometime...
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When I did the night dive for my advanced scuba, you could run your hand through the water and make thousands of tiny lights. It was beeyooteeful!
SPUCK Thursday Dec 31 05:53 AM
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Originally Posted by Shawnee123
When I did the night dive for my advanced scuba,
It was beeyooteeful!
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Is this how you forget the apex predator, chomping jaws, thrashing, and the blood-filled water?
Adak Thursday Dec 31 10:25 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by WillieO
The pilot story was also a scene from the movie "Appollo 13", told by Tom Hanks character.
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Thanks, Willie. I'm sure that's where I heard the carrier story. Just couldn't remember the source.
Shawnee123 Thursday Dec 31 03:41 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by SPUCK
Is this how you forget the apex predator, chomping jaws, thrashing, and the blood-filled water?
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Sea-critters love me. I am one of them. The albatross and the whale, they are my brothers.
:mermaid:
The barracuda didn't even bother us. We don't look like something they want to eat, what with all the prime little fishies running around.
xoxoxoBruce Thursday Dec 31 05:40 PMIn that case, RichLevy has an Otter for you.
Happy Monkey Friday Jan 1 12:55 AMThese guys get a lot of coverage in the "Caves" episode of "Planet Earth". A show worth buying a Blu-ray player to watch.
SPUCK Friday Jan 1 05:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
These guys get a lot of coverage in the "Caves" episode of "Planet Earth". A show worth buying a Blu-ray player to watch.
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Just make damn sure you don't buy the set with Sigurney Weaver narrating it. Get the other one with McAllister. Otherwise you'll find yourself slitting your wrists as you fail to make a workable noose out of your video cables..
The vapid droning monotony... MAKE IT STOP!!! <sob>
Happy Monkey Friday Jan 1 12:11 PMAttenborough. And, while I definitely prefer him over anyone else when it comes to nature show narration, I was disappointed to discover that his version of the Blu-Rays had none of the making-of documentaries.
Shawnee123 Friday Jan 1 05:16 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by SPUCK
Just make damn sure you don't buy the set with Sigurney Weaver narrating it. Get the other one with McAllister. Otherwise you'll find yourself slitting your wrists as you fail to make a workable noose out of your video cables..
The vapid droning monotony... MAKE IT STOP!!! <sob>
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Haha! She should be married to Bill Paxton or Kevin Costner.
classicman Friday Jan 1 09:00 PM. . . or Timothy Robbins, I hear he is a available now.
xoxoxoBruce Saturday Jan 2 12:56 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
Attenborough.
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I really like his narations but I wish they would turn his volume up, or the background music down, on many of his shows.
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