Rock Windowsill Glows in the Dark! (PICS)

[Krutz]

I've yet to play with a br laser, can they be used on UV reacting minerals? If so, it's time for a visit to the rockshop. Can find some totally cool/cheap rocks to play with.

definitely!
for example, ruby glows really really bright red! that way you can distinguish it from garnet and other minerals/gems/jewels (however, both synthetic and natural ruby will glow). amber glows brightly. most uranium minerals too (vaseline glass! google it!). i found small topaz crystals, they glow a little bit, red.

for most fluorescence, however, you need yellow filters, else the 405nm will totally drown the relatively weak response. 405nm blocking lasergoogles work, many yellow sunglasses too.
it really is great fun, everyone owning a 405nm source (laser or LED) should play around with it wearing some yellow glasses!

dozens of other things too, there are several threads about this.. search for "fluorescence"

manuel

 

[ZRTMWA]

Could be someone used some GITD paint on the wall before you moved in. I had whole galaxies pained on my walls when I was younger.

Or...

Bustin makes me feel good..yeah!

Our house was built for us, we didn't have any previous owners. But I just found a cup today that is GITD and we've had it for many years. Maybe it's leaking it's GITDness into the water I drink which I then proceed to vomit on my walls in my sleep, without waking up.

 

[Gryphon]

Maybe it's leaking it's GITDness into the water I drink which I then proceed to vomit on my walls in my sleep, without waking up.

Thats slightly disturbing

 

[millirad]

If you are really lucky, when you point the BR in the basement, you will see some glowing Radon gas. Or is it unlucky.

 

[Krutz]

..at least you can feel special.
and your doctor will be much interested in that phenomenon too ;-)

oh, and you may dig out interesting fluorescent minerals there!

manuel

 

[ZRTMWA]

What's Radon gas from?

 

[millirad]

^Radon.........
Radon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[game-genie]

The urine from cats also glows in the dark

 

[ZRTMWA]

^Radon.........
Radon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Before you posted that I had already looked it up on wikipedia. I still don't understand where it comes from, just that it accumulates in basements.

 

[Tech_Junkie]

Its in the earth and rocks.

 

[Krutz]

radioactive elements decay to other, "lower" elements in a "decay line". eventually, all radioactive elements will form lead. the last element before radon is radium, so when radium decays, it forms a lot of radiation and radon gas. therefore, for example, your glowing arms of an old watch (which contains radium) will spray alpha/beta/gamma-rays and radon, which concentration you could measure inside the watch.
the problem with radon is that its gaseous. therefore it will leak through the basement to be inhaled. think of it as tritium in a tritium light: holding the vial is no problem, but inhaling the tritium will get the small amounts inside your body, built ito your cells, and produce its tiny radioactive amounts directly near your dna, near enough to do serious damage..

manuel

 

[ZRTMWA]

Oh, Thanks.

 

[Doofus]

Scary eh? I want to go explore my basement now with a laser.

 

[Krutz]

well, bad news finally, radon woesnt fluorescene under uv light ;-)
we are talking about concentrations in the ppm scale, anyway, hopefully. its rare, and only in distinct, known locations. unless you are the first who tests for radon, of course..

manuel

 

[Gryphon]

I sure hope there isn't any radon build up in my basement :undecided: