Starship Asterisk*

Gone in 60 Seconds: A Green Flash Sunset

Explanation: In 60 seconds, this setting Sun will turn green. Actually, the top of the Sun already appears not only green, but wavey -- along with all of its edges. The Sun itself is unchanged -- both effects are caused by looking along hot and cold layers in Earth's atmosphere. The unusual color is known as a green flash and occurs because these atmospheric layers not only shift background images but disperse colors into slightly different directions, like a prism. The featured video was captured earlier this month off the coast of Hawaii, USA. After waiting those 60 seconds, at the video's end, the upper part of the Sun seems to hover alone in space, while turning not only green, but blue. Then suddenly, the Sun appears to shrink to nothing -- only to return tomorrow.

<< Previous APOD

This Day in APOD

Next APOD >>

Oh, come on! This is a blue flash! (Even though it's a little bit green, too.)



Oh, okay, all right - the caption actually told us so:

After waiting those 60 seconds, at the video's end, the upper part of the Sun seems to hover alone in space, while turning not only green, but blue.

Thank you, Tengyu Cai, for capturing this blue flash for us!

Ann

During my one year at Thule Greenland, 77 degrees north, during the first sunsets after summer the sun grazed the horizon horizontally before rising again. I could control the degree of sunset by walking up and down a north facing hillside, seeing all the stages pictured here, including violet! Thanks for publishing this video.

In my navy days we were at sea in the Caribbean, One of my tasks was to put out equipment at sunset. and remove it at sunrise.

I saw a green flash so intense the ENTIRE SKY TURNED GREEN! It was incredible but of course I was young and didn't know what I had seen.

Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

No? Here he is!


Ann

Ann wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 4:22 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

No? Here he is!

Green Flash by classicmovielover62 on DeviantArt

---

Ann

Ah, I was only talking about "canon". Yeah, that's the ticket. But, while we're on the subject, here's a more comic-y envisioning:

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow!

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:10 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash!

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow!

Well, I'll be darned, there IS a Green Arrow! He looks like a jacked Robin Hood. I was never into comics AT ALL, truth be told.


And then there's Minecraft's Green Menace - I've never played Minecraft either.

https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Minec ... een_Menace

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:10 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Wed Oct 25, 2023 10:02 pm Other than photos of the Sun; I have never seen the Green Flash! :roll:

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash. :ssmile:

Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow! :lol2:

Wasn't he having an argument with the Green Hornet?

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:53 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:10 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow!

Wasn't he having an argument with the Green Hornet?

Dang, I plumb forgot about him. And we mustn't neglect the Green Giant (Jolly or otherwise). It seems like green is the preferred color of all things imaginary, and life-extraterrestrial (so far, also imaginary).

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:13 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:53 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:10 pm
Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow! :lol2:

Wasn't he having an argument with the Green Hornet?

Dang, I plumb forgot about him. And we mustn't neglect the Green Giant (Jolly or otherwise). It seems like green is the preferred color of all things imaginary, and life-extraterrestrial (so far, also imaginary).

And Soylent. Never forget Soylent.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:19 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:13 pm

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:53 pm

Wasn't he having an argument with the Green Hornet?

Dang, I plumb forgot about him. And we mustn't neglect the Green Giant (Jolly or otherwise). It seems like green is the preferred color of all things imaginary, and life-extraterrestrial (so far, also imaginary).

And Soylent. Never forget Soylent.

Chris Peterson wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 8:19 pm And Soylent. Never forget Soylent.

It's just people.

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:40 pm

orin stepanek wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 7:10 pm

johnnydeep wrote: ↑Thu Oct 26, 2023 3:14 pm

I've seen the Green Lantern, but never the Green Flash.

Ya! I also have seen the Green Arrow!

Well, I'll be darned, there IS a Green Arrow! He looks like a jacked Robin Hood. I was never into comics AT ALL, truth be told.

Click to view full size image

And then there's Minecraft's Green Menace - I've never played Minecraft either.

https://minecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Minec ... een_Menace

I wait for Green lantern and Green Arrow when I'm stopped in traffic!