Brian Wagner, a chemistry professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, often works with fluorescent detector molecules in his lab. But instead of showing off his research, he decided to show off the fluorescent objects people interact with all the time by putting them under a 350-nm-wavelength ultraviolet lamp. From left to right, the substances shown are as follows: *Olive oil (contains various fluorescent compounds)
*Vitamin B-2, a.k.a. riboflavin, dissolved in water
*Turmeric dissolved in water (contains the fluorescent molecule curcumin)
*A bar of Irish Spring Original soap (contains the fluorescent molecule pyranine)
*Canola oil (contains various fluorescent compounds)
*Tonic water (contains the fluorescent molecule quinine)
After drying the liquid in his flask under high vacuum, Priya Ranjan Sahoo saw this foam start to bubble up and fill the vessel. Oddly, this netlike foam glowed under ultraviolet light because his product was a silicon rhodamine molecule. Sahoo, a postdoc at Tohoku University’s Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials, aims to use silicon rhodamines as switchable fluorescent probes in imaging experiments. The key to switchability is controlling which form the molecule takes: when its five-membered lactone ring is intact, the molecule shows very little fluorescence, but when the lactone pops open (transformation shown in scheme), it exhibits an eerie blue glow under a variety of ultraviolet wavelengths (center and left photo; visible light shown in right photo). — Manny Morone
Young blue stars circling the galactic center dominate the Andromeda Galaxy in this image taken in ultraviolet! About 2.5 million light-years away, the Andromeda Galaxy, also known as M31, really is our galactic neighbour. Spanning about 230,000 light-years, it took 11 different image fields from NASA’s Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) satellite telescope to produce this gorgeous portrait of the spiral galaxy in ultraviolet light in 2003. Its spiral arms stand out in visible light images, Andromeda’s arms are sites of intense star formation. They have been interpreted as evidence that Andromeda collided with its smaller neighboring elliptical galaxy M32 more than 200 million years ago. The Andromeda galaxy and our own comparable Milky Way galaxy are the most massive members of the Local Group of galaxies and are projected to collide in several billion years – perhaps around the time that our Sun’s atmosphere will expand to engulf the Earth.
Plectranthus parviflorus, known by Alaala wai nui in Hawaiian, is a plant native to the Hawaiian islands as well as other places throughout the Oceania region. This plant from the mint family is one of the easiest grown natives in Hawaii and once established can actually become somewhat weedy, readily growing in dry conditions, even in sidewalk cracks and the crotches of trees making it semi-epiphytic. The leaves, stem, buds, and ultimately calyx are all fuzzy which together with the ease of growing and willingness to flower make it popular as an ornamental native species.
Hibiscus tiliaceus is a widespread member of the mallow family commonly found by beaches as its many sea-inclusive common names suggest. Native through Oceania and South Asia, the plant has now become naturalized throughout he world, including the tropical Americas. There is some dispute about whether it is truly a Hawaiian native plant or whether it was introduced by early settlers who used the plant extensively for its buoyant wood. It also provides fiber from which ropes were made, corky bark which sealed cracks, and parts of the plant can be used to treat fevers and as food. The Hawaiian name for it, hau, appears quite often in contemporary naming for businesses and streets.
H. tiliaceus is one of the very few [sort of] native plants I was able to find and recognize among all the multitudes of introduced species. It was growing alongside a large Thespesia populnea, Ipomea pes-caprae, I. obscura, Abutilon grandifolium, and quite a few clumps of Vitex rotundifolia. It is certainly possible that being close to a coastal rode, the plants were deliberately placed, but even if so, the choice of using natives is to be commended.
The pollen from this species was especially bright, and upon reviewing my photos at full size, I could not only make out the shape of the pollen, but a pronounced contrast of some on the stigma. Where many have the fluorescent coloration and intensity of fresh pollen from the anthers, quite a few are dimmer and blue rather than green. I have two guesses about this. My first thought is that the blue pollen are hollow shells – just the capsule left behind after germination. My second thought is that they are pollen grains from a different species.
If anyone has any insight into which is more likely, I’d love to hear your thoughts as this is something that has been often on my mind for the last 6 months!
Mantis shrimp are named for their very fast and powerful front claws. When the claws strike forward at prey, they have the same acceleration as a .22 calibre bullet. Even if the claw itself misses, just the resulting shock wave is often enough to kill prey. They have been known to break through aquarium glass in a single punch.
The shrimp also has the most complex eyes in the animal kingdom, capable of seeing 12 primary colours, compared to the 3 that humans can see.
Mixed fluorescent minerals from the Beltana Mine (Puttapa Zinc Mine), Leigh Creek, North Flinders Ranges, Flinders Ranges, South Australia, Australia. Pictured under short wave ultraviolet and white light.
Benitoite from the Benitoite Gem Mine, San Benito County, CA, under white light and short wave ultraviolet. Benitoite is California’s State Gemstone. It crystalizes in the rare ditrigonal dipyramidal crystal class.
Terlingua Calcite from the Little 38 Mine in Terlingua, Texas. All of the fluorescent minerals in this rock are calcite. Shown under long wave ultraviolet, mid-wave ultraviolet, short wave ultraviolet and white light. This one weighs over 8 pounds.
Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Feliz Navidad with an aragonite/cave calcite from “Santa” Eulalia, Chihuahua, Mexico. Shown under short wave ultraviolet and white light.
Fluorescent mineral display at the 64th Annual Dallas Gem & Mineral Society Show, November 20-21, 2021. The case is illuminated with long wave ultraviolet light on the left side, and short wave ultraviolet on the right. Note that many of the minerals in the center of the display exhibit different color responses under long wave vs. short wave.
