Have you ever wondered how glow in the dark stuff works?

Things Glow Because of Phosphorescence

Stars and paint and glowing plastic beads glow from phosphorescence. This is a process in which a material absorbs energy and then slowly releases it in the form of visible light. Fluorescent materials glow via a similar process, but fluorescent materials release light within fractions of a second or seconds, which is not long enough to glow for most practical purposes.

Why Glow in the Dark Things Are Green

There are two main reasons why glow in the dark stuff mostly glows in green. The first reason is because the human eye is particularly sensitive to green light, so green appears brightest to us. Manufacturers choose phosphors that emit green to get the brightest apparent glow.

The other reason green is a common color is because the most common affordable and non-toxic phosphor glows green. The green phosphor also glows the longest. It's simple safety and economics!