Satellite images confirm mystery glow in ocean

[emad]

Satellite images confirm mystery glow in ocean
‘Milky sea’ may be caused by colony of bioluminescent bacteria

By Robert Roy Britt
LiveScience managing editor


Mariners have long told of rare nighttime events in which the ocean glows intensely as far as the eye can see in all directions.

Fictionally, such a "milky sea" is encountered by the Nautilus in Jules Verne classic "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

Scientists don't have a good handle what's going on. But satellite sensors have now provided the first pictures of a milky sea and given new hope to learning more about the elusive events.

The newly released images show a vast region of the Indian Ocean, about the size of Connecticut, glowing three nights in a row. The luminescence was also spotted from a ship in the area.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/9593095/

[psychopomp]

1. The above is the complete article

here is the pic:

[supernova]

2. Trippy

I've never seen that. It's interesting that it's cohesive enough to make it stand out on a sat photo.

[Pepperbelly]

3. I think the bioluminescence explanations ...

are at this point speculation. I have seen bioluminescence at sea and there is no way it could have been spotted so easily from orbit. Maybe some kind of souped-up speciman but I think we should wait and see what the water samples show.

The color character is also quite different.

:shrug:

[htuttle]

4. Just wait until it rises up out of the water and blasts into orbit

Now THAT will be something to see!

[Pepperbelly]

5. I hope they catch it on film.

Very fast color film.

:smoke: