Insect field note
Cool light maker
The Firefly's Lantern
A firefly can glow without ever feeling warm, lighting up the summer night with a built-in lantern near its tail.
Let's look closer
How can light be made without any heat?
nside a firefly's glowing tail, a chemical called luciferin combines with oxygen and a helper called luciferase, and this reaction releases nearly all of its energy as light instead of heat. Because so little energy is wasted, scientists consider it one of the most efficient forms of light-making found anywhere in nature. Each species flashes its own particular pattern of blinks and pauses, like a tiny greeting written in code, helping fireflies find and recognize the right kind of firefly to meet in the dark.
Look for this
Explorer clue
On a warm summer evening, watch the low grass and bushes just after sunset for the first soft flickers of light.
Your turn to wonder
Curiosity question
If you could glow your own special pattern, what message would your light say?
Keep wandering
