The Green Flash

Real or Unreal?

With the green flash, sorting illusion from reality can only be left to the individual. Some say the green flash is real, others call it a mirage or even a mock mirage. Perhaps it is a matter of subjective and objective reality.

Those calling it real say that not only have they clearly seen the phenomenon but that it was a vivid, blazing, memorable experience. Those who call it unreal say it's because the light isn't really green, it only seems green because of quirk atmospheric refraction. Curiously, for those who uphold the refraction view, it turns out the very sunrise itself could also be called a mirage of sorts. For, due to the atmosphere curving the light, at the moment we see the sunrise, objectively it hasn't yet really risen.

For anyone wishing to chase the elusive green flash, or ponder what is real and what illusion, there is a lot available on the internet in the way of information, experience, pictures, and even movies. The latter will be a disappointment for those who have actually experienced the green flash, particularly at sunrise when the "flash" is most dramatic. This may be one of the green flash's most appealing aspects. Unlike a sunset where a photograph can capture some of its glory, the green flash seems to need to be witnessed live.

Links to the Green Flash:

http://mintaka.sdsu.edu/GF/

(A concise page created by Andrew Young, showing a special love for the green flash and things astronomical. A few well-organized links to topics pertaining to the green flash are nicely laid out.)

http://www.mtwilson.edu/Tour/Lot/Green_Flash/index.html#ex1

(Good detail on one view of the green flash phenomenon)

http://www.bishopmuseum.org/planetarium/greenflash.html

(For an Hawaiian perspective, from the Hawaiian Bishop Museum page, with advice on avoiding the "fool's flash")

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