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    A fluorescent mineral is one that will glow in the dark if it has an ultraviolet, or black, light shined on it.  When we went to the Sterling Hill Mine, we found out that there are fluorescent minerals found with the zinc that was mined there.  Our tour guide showed us a place, deep inside the mine, that had chunks in a large bin.  We were able to pick one and then put it under an ultraviolet light for a minute. When the lights were turned off, the mineral glowed! 
    Some fluorescent minerals are: 

	Franklinite
	Calcite
	Willemite
	Gypsum
	Fluorite

    There are many uses for fluorescence.  It is used in neon lights, highway lights, TVs, computers, microscopes, and paints.  Fluorescent rocks can cost a lot of money if they are rare, very beautiful, or have large crystals.
    When the lights went off in the zinc mine, the minerals were giving off amazing colors!  Some were red and others were green, orange, and yellow.  We asked our science teacher to use his black light to show us his collection of fluorescent minerals. [This is the picture on the right.] It was really cool to see it all over again!

Fluorescent rocks at the
Sterling Hill Mineral Museum

    Fluorescence is caused by radiation hitting the atoms that make up the mineral.  This is a hard thing to understand.  To help you understand atoms better, you can go to the following websites:

	How atoms work [Loads slowly]
	How do I make a model of an atom?

Fluorescence Links:

	Wikipedia: Fluorescence
	Ken's Fluorescent Minerals
	Mineral Gallery

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Citations:

"Fluorescence." Raintree Illustrated Science Encyclopedia.  1991 ed.

"Fluorescence."  16 Feb 2006.  <http://www.sterlinghill.org/warren/aboutfluorescence.htm>.