The Green Flash: How to Spot This Rare Sunset Phenomenon
Even in February, sunsets can be some of the most beautiful of the year – crisp horizons, clear air, and longer evenings just around the corner. So next time you find yourself watching the sun sink below the sea, keep your eyes peeled for the green flash.
The green flash is a rare optical phenomenon that happens when the sun dips below (or rises above) the horizon. For a brief moment, a vivid green light appears at the very top edge of the sun.
Not many people have seen a green flash, and its rarity can wrongly lead some to believe it’s just an old wives’ tale or an urban legend. In reality, the green flash is very real – it’s just that atmospheric conditions are often not quite right.
Below are some tips to give you the best chance of spotting one, along with a little of the science behind how the green flash occurs.
What Is the Green Flash?
The green flash occurs at sunset or sunrise when the atmosphere bends and separates sunlight into different colours.
When conditions are perfect, a small green spot becomes visible above the upper rim of the sun’s disk just as it disappears below the horizon.
The green appearance usually lasts only a second or two.
Rarely, the green flash can even resemble a green ray shooting upward from the sunset point, an unforgettable sight for anyone lucky enough to witness it.
Best Conditions to See a Green Flash
The best opportunity to see a green flash is at sunset (or sunrise) when you have:
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A clear, unobstructed horizon
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Stable, clean air
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No haze or heavy cloud
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A flat sea or open landscape
Sailors are often in the perfect place to see it, since the ocean provides a wide, uninterrupted horizon.
Where Can Green Flashes Be Seen?
Green flashes can be observed at any latitude, not just in tropical locations.
They are more likely to be seen in stable, clear air when more of the light from the setting sun reaches the observer without being scattered.
Many airline pilots report seeing the green flash frequently, and it may also be viewed from:
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Mountain tops
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Deserts
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Ice fields
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Open sea
The Green Flash in Literature
The green flash has long captured imaginations. Jules Verne famously described it in The Green Ray:
“…it will be ‘green,’ but a most wonderful green, a green which no artist could ever obtain on his palette…
If there be green in Paradise, it cannot but be of this shade… the true green of Hope!”
A Word of Caution: Protect Your Eyes
Interestingly, the sun does have a faint green upper rim at every sunrise and sunset.
The best time to notice this rim is around 10 minutes before sunset, although it becomes harder to see as the sun nears the horizon due to atmospheric reddening.
⚠️ Important safety warning:
Magnification is required to see the green rim clearly, but looking at the sun through binoculars or a telescope without proper protection can permanently damage your eyesight.
A safe alternative is to project the magnified image onto paper:
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Set binoculars or a telescope on a tripod
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Hold a white card or paper a foot or two behind the eyepiece
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View the projected image instead of looking directly at the sun
A Romantic Sailor’s Legend
An old saying tells us that if you see a green flash, you will never go wrong in affairs of the heart.
Whether or not that’s true… it’s certainly a magical thought to carry into a summer sunset.
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