The ocean can sometimes glow so brightly that satellites can see it from hundreds of miles above Earth.

At night, enormous areas of the sea can appear to shimmer with an eerie blue-green light.

This isn't science fiction.

It's bioluminescence.

The Glowing Ocean That Satellites Can See From Space explores the fascinating organisms responsible for some of the ocean's most spectacular nighttime displays—and how modern satellites can detect these events from orbit.

Tiny marine organisms called dinoflagellates can produce light through a chemical reaction inside their cells. When waves, boats, or other disturbances move through the water, these microscopic organisms can flash with brilliant blue light.

Under the right conditions, enormous concentrations of these organisms can create glowing stretches of ocean.