More Nature at Night

First, please let me offer an apology. The link to boaters at Nickajack Cave did not appear in the previous issue. Instead, I included this link which takes you to a fact sheet. 
Nickajack Cave Wildlife Refuge | Tennessee River Valley (tennesseerivervalleygeotourism.org)




Here is a link to the video of boating at Nickajack Cave.
Outdoor Chattanooga | Nickajack Cave Wildlife Refuge - YouTube
 
Animals that Glow
 
You are probably familiar with our local Lampyrid beetles that flash their lights on summer nights. They are commonly known as lightning bugs or fireflies, but they are neither bugs nor flies. They are beetles, scientifically Coleoptera, and, more specifically, the family Lampyridae.




The Encyclopedia Britannica has an extensive article about organisms that glow. Scientists call this phenomenon Bioluminescence:  bioluminescence | Causes, Examples, & Facts | Britannica




The National Science Foundation has an article about fungi that glow A Thousand Points of Light: Bioluminescent Fungi | NSF - National Science Foundation




If you have never seen a bioluminescent tide, please visit an ocean. The tiny Dinoflagellates put on quite a show. Bioluminescent Tide: What makes the ocean glow • Earth.com




Some jellyfish and many of the stingless comb jellies glow as well. The Tennessee Aquarium once had a small display of comb jellies, which may still be there. This link will take you to a fairly technical article about comb jellies. Ctenophores - some notes from an expert (washington.edu)
 
Nighttime Insects
As spring approaches, you may want to try learning more about moths. Here is a video on attracting moths Black lighting for Moths Day 1 [ National Moth Week ] – YouTube




Katydids sing late into fall evenings, and I have always enjoyed their chorus. Here is a seasonal article. Katydids - The Daily Garden Count the number of chirps in 15 seconds and add 40 for a rough estimate of the temperature.
 
Amphibian Voices
The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency has an excellent web page with photos of the many species of Tennessee frogs. You will see a species account if you click on an individual image. Frogs and Toads in Tennessee | State of Tennessee, Wildlife Resources Agency (tn.gov)




You can also identify frogs by their calls. Go to the LEAPS website and click on the word “call” for a recording. Identify by Sound (leaps.ms)
 
Active at Dusk and Dawn
Crepuscular animals are active during the twilight hours of dusk and dawn. This website has an illustrated list of some of them. 
Crepuscular animals (animalia.bio) 
 
Night Sky Resources
The StarDate Podcast and web page is a friendly resource even for beginners. StarDate Online | Your guide to the universe




For more resources, check out the Earth and Sky podcast and web page Tonight | EarthSky




Pictures within pictures. Asterism (astronomy) - Wikipedia

• There are eighty-eight official constellations.
• The Big Dipper is not a constellation.
• It is an Asterism – a picture within a picture.
• It lies within the constellation Ursa Major.
• The Little Dipper is an asterism within Ursa Minor.
• The Pleiades is an asterism within Taurus.
• The Hyades is also an asterism within Taurus.
• The variable star Algol is an Asterism within Perseus.

Orion is already on the horizon at dusk and high in the sky by 10 PM and will be visible earlier and earlier in the evening. 

• Orion Constellation Image Orion Csillagkép Pictures (eu5.org)
• Follow the line of Orion’s belt upward to Aldebaran and the Pleiades.
• In Japanese folklore, the Pleiades are Subaru, a fishing net. A group of stars appears on the Subaru automotive logo. 
• Follow the line down to Sirius, the bright star in Canis Major.  
• Many cultures see a hero in the constellation Orion/
• Some cultures see Orion as a butterfly.
• Others see the three stars in the belt as a bridge.
• Orion is the mighty hunter, and the Scorpion is his nemesis. They are never in the sky at the same time.
• Stellar Enemies | StarDate Online

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