The Starry Sky under Hollow Hill
Image Credit &
Copyright:
Phill Round
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 ...