The Green Flash of the Sun at Sunset

[CometPhoenix]

<p>Does it only happen in the southern hemispere, or anywhere on the western horizon?</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#0000ff">What ever happens, happens/</font><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="3">Just call me Phoenix</font></font></font></p></font> </div>

 

[origin]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Does it only happen in the southern hemispere, or anywhere on the western horizon? <br />Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV></p><p>I have seen the 'green flash' in the northern hemisphere.&nbsp; St. Croix to be exact.&nbsp; The green flash is just a phenomina due to the refracting of the suns light rays in the atmosphere at sunset, so it can be seen at any latitude.</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[crazyeddie]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Does it only happen in the southern hemispere, or anywhere on the western horizon? <br /> Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV></p><p>It can happen anywhere, as long as the atmosphere is clear and stable and the view of the horizon is unobstructed. &nbsp;And it's not limited to the sun.....even the moon has shown "green flashes" when rising and setting.</p><p>Here's a cool little animation of a green flash:</p><p>http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0701/greenset_pivato.gif</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

<p>Yep -- green flash can (theoretically) occur anywhere there is an unobstructed view of the true horizon.&nbsp; That easiest to acheive over the ocean, but can occur elsewhere.</p><p>An even rarer event is the blue flash.&nbsp; Check out this post at the Bad Astronomy blog for an actual picture of the blue flash.&nbsp; It's caused by the same basic process as the green flash -- refraction in the Earth's atmosphere.</p><p>Paranormally pretty Paranal pix</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>EDIT: Also, check out Atmospheric Optic's section on the Green Flash for more information and cool pics.&nbsp; ;-)</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[3488]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'><font color="#ff0000">Yep -- green flash can (theoretically) occur anywhere there is an unobstructed view of the true horizon.&nbsp; That easiest to acheive over the ocean, but can occur elsewhere.An even rarer event is the blue flash.&nbsp; Check out this post at the Bad Astronomy blog for an actual picture of the blue flash.&nbsp; It's caused by the same basic process as the green flash -- refraction in the Earth's atmosphere.Paranormally pretty Paranal pix <br />Posted by CalliArcale</font></DIV></p><p><font size="2" color="#000000"><strong>I've seen the Green flash from Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, Wales, UK in September 2003. Wonderful clear view & the green upper limb of the Sun was very obvious as it set over the Irish Sea. Also from Gran Canaria in February 2005, setting over the Atlantic Ocean. I've never seen the Blue Flash though.<br /><br />Andrew Brown.</strong></font></p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080">"I suddenly noticed an anomaly to the left of Io, just off the rim of that world. It was extremely large with respect to the overall size of Io and crescent shaped. It seemed unbelievable that something that big had not been visible before".</font> <em><strong><font color="#000000">Linda Morabito </font></strong><font color="#800000">on discovering that the Jupiter moon Io was volcanically active. Friday 9th March 1979.</font></em></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://www.launchphotography.com/</font><br /><br /><font size="1" color="#000080">http://anthmartian.googlepages.com/thisislandearth</font></p><p><font size="1" color="#000080">http://web.me.com/meridianijournal</font></p> </div>

 

[CalliArcale]

I've just remembered, after rereading Atmospheric Optic's section on the green flash, that what I posted above is not correct.&nbsp; It doesn't neccesarily require an unobstructed true horizon (as evidenced both by the Paranal blue flash and by a great picture at Atmospheric Optics showing the flash over a cloud).&nbsp; What it requires is lots of air (best near the horizon) and probably some kind of complicated temperature inversion to produce the correct refraction.<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#666699"><em>"People assume that time is a strict progression of cause to effect, but actually from a non-linear, non-subjective viewpoint it's more like a big ball of wibbly wobbly . . . timey wimey . . . stuff."</em>  -- The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[JonClarke]

<p>Quite often&nbsp;when I was working on a ship in the southern ocean,&nbsp; It seemed to require clear skies and calm weather.</p><p>Jon</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[CometPhoenix]

<p>Ok, I just wanted to make sure. It's one more thing I can put on my "things I want to see before I die" list. Thanks guys!!</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#0000ff"><p style="margin-top:0in;margin-left:0in;margin-right:0in" class="MsoNormal"><font face="Times New Roman" size="3" color="#0000ff">What ever happens, happens/</font><font face="Times New Roman"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="3">Just call me Phoenix</font></font></font></p></font> </div>

 

[MeteorWayne]

Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Ok, I just wanted to make sure. It's one more thing I can put on my "things I want to see before I die" list. Thanks guys!! <br />Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV><br /><br />The only way to see it (like most rare things in astronomy and the atmnosphere) is to look whenever you can!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#000080"><em><font color="#000000">But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id.</font></em> </font></p><p><font color="#000080">I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function</font><font color="#000080"> </font></p> </div>

 

[weeman]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>Ok, I just wanted to make sure. It's one more thing I can put on my "things I want to see before I die" list. Thanks guys!! <br />Posted by CometPhoenix</DIV><br /><br />I've seen it <img src="http://sitelife.space.com/ver1.0/content/scripts/tinymce/plugins/emotions/images/smiley-smile.gif" border="0" alt="Smile" title="Smile" /></p><p>A few years back when I was watching the sunset from the shores of Kauai. I was with my whole family, but apparently I was the only one who saw it. I don't describe it as a flash. If it's a pefectly clear day, when the last little bit of the sun is dipping down over the ocean, the very last sliver of it will turn green just before it goes down over the horizon. </p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Techies: We do it in the dark. </font></strong></p><p><font color="#0000ff"><strong>"Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.</strong><strong>" -Albert Einstein </strong></font></p> </div>

 

[origin]

<p><BR/>Replying to:<BR/><DIV CLASS='Discussion_PostQuote'>The only way to see it (like most rare things in astronomy and the atmnosphere) is to look whenever you can!! <br />Posted by MeteorWayne</DIV></p><p>Boy ain't that the truth!&nbsp; Keep your chin up and pay attention!!!</p><p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>