For the month of April, the interesting aspect of the photo has more to do with how it was taken vs. what it is.

The photo was taken by a student, Alliana Munguia, at Cathedral City High School during a lichen study in Joshua Tree National Park. She came up with the idea of using a smart phone camera to take pictures through a loupe or a magnifier.

The yellow lichen is Acarospora socialis. The orange-yellow one (not much) is a Candelariella, mostly likely Candelariella aurella. – Kerry Knudsen, Lichenologist, UCR.

Responses from readers:

a. hernandez: The photo shows lichen with a ruler next to it.

Erik Cross: Ahhh the ever mysterious lichen, not sure which species though.

Photo courtesey of Donna Ross.

It is steel wool – magnified.

Responses from readers:

Ed Mascio: Macroscopic view of plastic material i.e. a scrubber used to clean dishes in the kitchen at 30x.

Peter A’Hearn: Magnesium ribbon or some other metal turnings.

Rick Yessayian: Ha ha ha…Looks like a “Brillo” pad up close.

It’s a view of the sun through a hydrogen alpha telescope.

Responses from readers:

Submit your guess and check back next month for the answer.

The answer to last month’s photo.