Blacklight Galaxy Squad: A Strange Glow In The Dark

At a recent exhibition in France, a LEGO diorama using blacklight to illuminate specific LEGO colors impressed attendees. The diorama, created by Cyrille Bouquinet, features a glowing Galaxy Squad scene.

Bouquinet, a 46-year-old LEGO enthusiast from Rochefort, France, has been building with LEGO since childhood. He is a collector of various LEGO themes and has been creating his own MOCs (My Own Creations) for the past seven years. His interest in using blacklight on LEGO pieces stemmed from seeing similar creations online. After experimenting with a UV bar, he discovered the striking effect it had on certain LEGO bricks. Blacklight, also known as Wood's light, emits violet and near-ultraviolet light, causing fluorescent substances to glow.

Several LEGO colors react particularly well to blacklight. These include transparent fluorescent parts like Trans-Bright Green, Trans-Neon Green, Trans-Medium Blue, and Trans-Neon Orange. White Glow in the Dark pieces also exhibit a strong glow under UV light. Newer colors like Coral and Vibrant Yellow also react, along with a slight neon effect on Transparent and Trans-Light Blue colors produced since 2021. Bouquinet chose the Galaxy Squad theme for his diorama, inspired by the theme's buggoids and the idea of a hostile planet with luminescent vegetation. He appreciated Galaxy Squad as the last pure LEGO Space theme.

For LEGO fans interested in experimenting with this technique, consider getting a UV blacklight flashlight to see which of your bricks glow.