Which instrument allowed C. G. Bernhard to first observe moth eye
Chapter 1

The secret of the night flyer

Chapter 2

Physics of the perfect cloak

Chapter 3

Night vision and deep space

YOUR GOAL

Master of How moth eyes revolutionized the way we see in the dark

Ch 1 · The secret of the night flyer
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007skaty Tiny nanometer-scale pillars cover the individual optical units of compound eyes.

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007skaty Moth Eye Nanostructures

Moth eye magic, moth eye magic, No reflection in the dark!

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Abrupt transitions create friction; gradual shifts allow smooth passage.

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007skaty C. G. Bernhard examined moth eyes with an electron microscope.

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The nanoscale pillars of the ommatidia

007skaty Individual optical units called ommatidia feature arrays of 200-to-300-nanometer pillars that interact with light in unique, non-reflective ways.

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Bernhard's big discovery in 1962

007skaty Physiologist C. G. Bernhard holds a specialized moth eye infrared lens in a studio.

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Moth Eye Spy
BETA

007skaty Spy on hidden moths to discover how their eyes inspire advanced infrared lenses.

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Fun Fact

Moth eye invisibility: A moth's eye reflects less than 0.1% of light, making it far less reflective than even the clearest human-made glass.

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Glossary
moth (noun)
A mostly nocturnal insect with feathery antennae and a stout body. In 2016, NASA modeled advanced infrared sensors on the nonreflective eye structures of this nocturnal insect.

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Gossip

Which nocturnal animal superpower would you prefer?

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Quiz

How do tapered nanostructures prevent light from reflecting off a surface?

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007skaty The evolutionary adaptation of nocturnal moth eyes.

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Quiz

What are the individual optical units of a moth's compound eye called?

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007skaty Moth eyes demonstrate the physics of the gradient index trick

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Quiz

What shape do the nanostructures on a moth's eye resemble?

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Quiz

What is the typical height of the nanostructures on a moth's cornea?

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Quiz

Which instrument allowed C. G. Bernhard to first observe moth eye nanostructures?

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Quiz

What causes light to reflect when transitioning between air and standard glass?

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Quiz

Why did nocturnal moths evolutionarily develop non-reflective eyes?

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Quiz

In which year did physiologist C. G. Bernhard discover the corneal nipple pattern?

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