Have you ever turned a corner in the dark and seen shining eyes looking at you? Seeing a cat’s eyes glowing in the dark can be surprising and a bit scary. Long ago, people in Egypt thought cats held onto the sun’s glow in their eyes until morning. The Greeks believed there was a little fire inside their eyes.
Today, we understand that cat’s eyes and many other animals’ eyes seem to glow because they reflect light.
All eyes reflect light, but some have a special part called a “tapetum lucidum.” This part acts like a small mirror at the back of the eyes of many night animals. It helps these animals see really well in the dark. This is also what makes their eyes glow in the dark, called “eyeshine.”
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