The green flash.

capnsensible

Well-known member
Joined
15 Mar 2007
Messages
43,535
Location
Atlantic
Visit site
That's a good photograph. Did you take it yourself?
Sadly not. Was a simple Google search though.

Possibly because of where I've sailed, seen quite a few. West of Gib Straits, Canaries, Caribbean.

On land, from a hotel at Cabo Spartel, Morocco, several waters edges in Western Florida and several times a year from the balcony of my house in the Canaries.

I was joking about being fed up with them. :)

I do wonder though about those in denial......
 

AndrewB

Well-known member
Joined
7 Jun 2001
Messages
5,852
Location
Dover/Corfu
Visit site
The green flash in Essex, near my abode. (Actually, that should have been Adobe).
Rather a giveaway, in the file header of the picture: "Panasonic DMC-TZ100 ' @ ' Adobe Photoshop Elements 13.0 (Windows) 2023:03:01 13:54:35."

Even so, a pretty pic from last December!
 
Last edited:

johnalison

Well-known member
Joined
14 Feb 2007
Messages
39,192
Location
Essex
Visit site
Rather a giveaway, in the file header of the picture: "Panasonic DMC-TZ100 ' @ ' Adobe Photoshop Elements 13.0 (Windows) 2023:03:01 13:54:35."

Even so, a pretty pic from last December!
I'm sorry about that. I just felt left out with all these world cruisers about. 😳
 

typhoonNige

Member
Joined
29 Aug 2006
Messages
445
Location
Lymington
Visit site
Three things that seem to have made seeing the green flash more likely in my experience
1.No cloud on the horizon
2.A good size swell
3.Starting the sundowner rum punch early
 

capnsensible

Well-known member
Joined
15 Mar 2007
Messages
43,535
Location
Atlantic
Visit site
But it's not a flash. It's a green blob/ glow. Seen that a lot. The flash only once
The green flash and green ray are meteorological optical phenomena that sometimes occur transiently around the moment of sunset or sunrise. When the conditions are right, a distinct green spot is briefly visible above the Sun's upper limb; the green appearance usually lasts for no more than two seconds. Rarely, the green flash can resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset or sunrise point.

The green Ray is the one that lights up the sky. Saw that near Cabo Spartel, Morocco.
 

geem

Well-known member
Joined
27 Apr 2006
Messages
7,443
Location
Caribbean
Visit site
The green flash and green ray are meteorological optical phenomena that sometimes occur transiently around the moment of sunset or sunrise. When the conditions are right, a distinct green spot is briefly visible above the Sun's upper limb; the green appearance usually lasts for no more than two seconds. Rarely, the green flash can resemble a green ray shooting up from the sunset or sunrise point.

The green Ray is the one that lights up the sky. Saw that near Cabo Spartel, Morocco.
So we saw a green Ray.😅
 

geem

Well-known member
Joined
27 Apr 2006
Messages
7,443
Location
Caribbean
Visit site
Types Of Green Flashes
Not all green flashes are the same. There are, in fact, multiple types of them:

Inferior Mirage: These more common flashes are oval and flat, occurring close to sea level when the water surface is warmer than the air.
Mock Mirage: These flashes appear in thin, pointy strips, lasting 1-2 seconds and occur higher in the sky when the water surface is colder than the air above.
Subduct Flashes: This less commonly seen flash occurs due to atmospheric inversion (layer of warm air traps cool air moisture close to the ground). The Sun seems to form an hourglass shape and the upper section of the Sun appears green for upwards of 15 seconds.
Green Ray: The rarest type of green flash to witness occurs when a beam of green light shoots straight up from the green flash immediately after the Sun sets. This is caused by a combination of hazy air and one of the other three types of flashes.
 
Top