Methods and apparatuses of scene illumination for millimeter wave sensing are presented. One embodiment features illuminating a subject with millimeter wave radiation produced by at least one fluorescent light, generating an image with a passive sensor using the millimeter wave radiation reflected from the subject, and analyzing the image to detect representations corresponding to concealed objects associated with the subject. Another embodiment features at least one fluorescent light which illuminates a subject with millimeter wave radiation, and passive millimeter wave sensor which receives the millimeter wave radiation effected from the subject, and generates an image which is analyzed to detect image representations corresponding to concealed objects. Another embodiment features at least one florescent light behind an optically opaque medium which is transparent to millimeter wave radiation, and illuminating a subject with millimeter wave radiation produced by the fluorescent light.