Lux Measurement of Live Fireflies
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
I’m looking for someone who has live fireflies right now and can help me measure how bright they really are using a simple lux meter (the kind you can buy on Amazon).
What you’ll do
- Use a handheld lux meter and a ruler or tape measure.
- In a completely dark room, place a single firefly at a fixed distance from the sensor, preferably 10 cm and 2–3 cm, both distances clearly measured and written down.
- Hold the firefly so that its light organ faces the sensor as much as possible.
- Record the peak lux during several flashes at each distance.
Data I need from you
For each firefly (and each distance), I need:
1. Distances
- Exact distance from the lux meter sensor to the firefly (in cm).
2. Lux readings
- Highest lux value seen during each flash (or short burst of flashes).
- At least 10–20 flashes per distance if possible.
3. Basic notes
- Date and time.
- Location (city or region is enough).
- Approximate air temperature (rough guess is fine, for example: “about 22°C, warm evening”).
- Lux meter model (brand and model name from the label or Amazon listing).
- A quick photo of your setup (phone snapshot) so I can see the geometry.
- If your lux meter supports logging, a short CSV or text export of the time series.
What counts as a complete set
- At least 3 individual fireflies, measured at:
- 10 cm from the sensor.
- 2–3 cm from the sensor.
- For each distance:
- 10 or more flashes where the lux reading clearly responds to the flash.
- Recorded maximum lux per flash (or per group of flashes) plus the distance.
You don’t need a fancy camera or any special electronics.
If you have live fireflies and are willing to sit in a dark room with a lux meter (which I will reimburse you for) and write down numbers carefully, that’s exactly what I need.
What you’ll do
- Use a handheld lux meter and a ruler or tape measure.
- In a completely dark room, place a single firefly at a fixed distance from the sensor, preferably 10 cm and 2–3 cm, both distances clearly measured and written down.
- Hold the firefly so that its light organ faces the sensor as much as possible.
- Record the peak lux during several flashes at each distance.
Data I need from you
For each firefly (and each distance), I need:
1. Distances
- Exact distance from the lux meter sensor to the firefly (in cm).
2. Lux readings
- Highest lux value seen during each flash (or short burst of flashes).
- At least 10–20 flashes per distance if possible.
3. Basic notes
- Date and time.
- Location (city or region is enough).
- Approximate air temperature (rough guess is fine, for example: “about 22°C, warm evening”).
- Lux meter model (brand and model name from the label or Amazon listing).
- A quick photo of your setup (phone snapshot) so I can see the geometry.
- If your lux meter supports logging, a short CSV or text export of the time series.
What counts as a complete set
- At least 3 individual fireflies, measured at:
- 10 cm from the sensor.
- 2–3 cm from the sensor.
- For each distance:
- 10 or more flashes where the lux reading clearly responds to the flash.
- Recorded maximum lux per flash (or per group of flashes) plus the distance.
You don’t need a fancy camera or any special electronics.
If you have live fireflies and are willing to sit in a dark room with a lux meter (which I will reimburse you for) and write down numbers carefully, that’s exactly what I need.