Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Ane Brun, Syd Matters

You might remember Ane Brun's previous appearance here at Night the Beloved with her song, Lullaby for Grown Ups. Here, she performs Little Lights as a duet with French singer Syd Matters. Set to lovely nature images, this song has some of the most extraordinary lyrics. I hope you enjoy it.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Morcheeba

We had subzero temperatures here last week, so I hope that explains the escapist tendencies found in this week's lullaby. The song is The Sea by Morcheeba and the images are colorful electronic renderings. It may not be a substitute for a warm-weather vacation, but this time of year, every little bit helps.

Luminous Life - Light-Up Slime

As I've been researching bioluminescence, the ability of some organisms to produce light with virtually no heat (there's a powerful metaphor right there), I learned that there are different types of bioluminescence: intrinstic or internal, where the organism has specialized cell structures to produce its own light; bacterial, where the organism needs to partner with bacteria to generate light; and extracellular, where the organism creates luminous slime.

Yes, glowing slime. It sounds like the next big thing in toys. But a surprising number of creatures secrete bioluminescent slime, and it's not always clear why.

The image above shows bamboo coral that, if touched, will produce "astonishing" amounts of slime, but scientists don't understand its purpose. Another sea creature, the Venus fly trap anemone, was also found to be bioluminescent not that long ago, again by way of slime and again for unknown reasons.

Certain centipedes, squids, shrimp, earthworms and tube worms can produce luminous secretions. Possible uses include defense against predators, communication and mating, which is the case with the Bermuda glow worm. In the summer months, these sea-dwellers swim to the surface to mate, with the females exuding a glowing slime to attract the males. The males respond with their own flashes of blue light, seen below.

That makes sense, and it's also interesting that their mating ritual occurs 2 to 3 days after the full moon and exactly 56 minutes after sunset. There are boat tours to view the phenomenon, it's that regular.

Still, that leaves a lot of radiant slime whose purpose remains clouded. Why would worms, like the ones above, ooze light? There is no satisfactory answer; I can only accept that these supposed lowly creatures have, by their unusual capacity, caused me to rethink the sources of light that exist in the world, as I consider beautiful light transported via mucus, protecting and otherwise serving its creator.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Elliott Smith

From the heart of winter comes this extraordinary video. Shot in and around Jordan, Minnesota, it captures the restlessness of youth, small town life and nature at its harshest yet most beautiful. The song is Pitseleh by Elliott Smith, one of my favorites because of its poignancy and honesty.

Lullaby for Grown-Ups - Kings of Convenience

Time for something a little more up-tempo from the Kings of Convenience to usher in the new year. You'll notice that even their more upbeat stuff is pretty mellow, so no worries there. The song is Misread, recorded at a concert in Germany in 2007. I hope you enjoy their wonderful music as we ease our way into 2009.

2009: International Year of Astronomy

Credit: NASA/The Hubble Heritage Team/A. Riess (STScI)

If there was ever a time to take an interest in the night sky and all its mysteries, this is the time - 2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy. This year-long celebration of the science of the stars includes many local and global events designed to educate and interest people in astronomy. The centerpiece is 100 Hours of Astronomy, a worldwide event in early April that will include live webcasts, observing events and more.

But for some immediate gratification, take a look at The World At Night, another project that is collecting beautiful night sky images from around the world. These photographers know what they're doing, and it shows. Their images are stunning.

And finally, on this first day of the new year, a video for you of the Milky Way moving slowly across the sky over Futago Lake in Japan. The videographer, known only as mockmoon2000, doesn't appear to be connected with the International Year of Astronomy, but certainly embodies its goals and ideals. May your New Year be full of celestial beauty and wonder!