The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word FLUORESCE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
F
L
U
O
R
E
S
C
E
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Glow" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case glow = fluoresce.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FLUORESCE mean?
FLUORESCE verb- To emit electromagnetic radiation, especially visible light, when absorbing radiation of some other wavelength.
- Of colours, to be very bright; to be so bright as to appear to radiate as a light source.