The Starry Sky under Hollow Hill

Astronomy Picture of the Day · 2014-08-30 · NASA (public domain)

Advertisement
The Starry Sky under Hollow Hill — APOD for 2014-08-30

Look up in New Zealand's Hollow Hill Cave and you might think you see a familiar starry sky . And that's exactly what Arachnocampa luminosa are counting on. Captured in this long exposure, the New Zealand glowworms scattered across the cave ceiling give it the inviting and open appearance of a clear, dark night sky filled with stars. Unsuspecting insects fooled into flying too far upwards get trapped in sticky snares the glowworms create and hang down to catch food. Of course professional astronomers wouldn't be so easily fooled , although that does look a lot like the Coalsack Nebula and Southern Cross at the upper left ...

Astronomy Picture of the Day for 2014-08-30 — image & explanation courtesy of NASA (public domain), mirrored at Tukuk-OS for reading and search convenience.

Advertisement
Advertisement