phosphorescence
nounUK /ˌfɒsfəˈrɛsəns/
US /ˌfɑːsfəˈrɛsəns/
A soft glow that some things give off in the dark after they have soaked up light.
The stars on her bedroom ceiling glowed with phosphorescence long after the lights were turned off.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. The process by which a substance absorbs energy and then slowly releases it as light.
Scientists studied the phosphorescence of the mineral under ultraviolet light.
3. A faint, lingering light or brightness.
A pale phosphorescence shimmered across the surface of the sea at night.
4. A state of glowing or shining softly.
The old watch dial had a gentle phosphorescence that helped him read the time in the dark.