My Land Glows in the Dark!

LSmith · Sep 1, 2003

Well we spent the holiday weekend on our land clearing and preping for a home site. I spent most of Saturday on the tractor using the boxblade to rip and smooth the soil. I dug up a lot of rotting wood with the blade and left some pieces scattered on the ground. About 10 that evening I was walking around checking things, and just to see the stars I turned off the flashlight. The sky was bright with stars but so was the ground! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif All the wood was glowing like lightsticks. I was strange but cool. I had heard of bioluminescence (Fox Fire) before but this was my first encounter outside of lightsticks and lighting bugs.
I never cease to be amazed at the diversity of nature.

Lane Smith

Docsknotinn · Sep 1, 2003

Did you happen to get a photo of that ? sounds very cool. Dave

LSmith · Sep 2, 2003

I tried with the digital camera to get a pic but nothing came out. I will have the 35mm and a tripod next time and will try to post a pic

Slamfire · Sep 5, 2003

Perhaps you need to mount a Geiger counter on that tripod. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Macroman · Sep 6, 2003

There are some slime molds and fungi that are bioeluminescent, but they are rare. Maybe you need to contact the local university. I doubt they will survive log after they are disturbed.

In the ocean it is neat to swin at night and water the colored trail behind you and your mates.

Slamfire · Sep 6, 2003

During the first el nino after I moved to Southern CA there was a run of humbolt squid. They can get upwards of 40 pounds. One night they lit up the ocean as far as the eye could see in front of Hermosa Beach's new pier. The surf often glowed there too.

BigDave · Sep 8, 2003

How close are you to Oak Ridge?

Slamfire · Sep 10, 2003

As the radiation travels about 50 miles, by road 75.

BXmark · Sep 23, 2003

While camping one time, I was chopping on a rotten stump near camp. After dark, we saw all these little glowing spots around the stump. The bits of wood were glowing this greenish color. I tried to take a sample home but it stopped glowing by the next day. Apparently, it is some kind of fungus or bacteria.

scruffy · Sep 25, 2003

Lemme see now, I live 11 miles from work, (downtown Oak Ridge) and two miles west of Oliver springs, so I would guesstimate 8 miles to Oak Ridge?
Oak Ridge doesn't need street lights, its all part of the scenery! LOL /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif