Tag Archives: green flash at sunset

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Last month Michael Reinhart noticed conditions were setting up nicely for a possible green flash at sunset. Here is the sun setting.

No clouds on the horizon can indicate the possibility of a green flash. Mike was ready with his camera. As the sun was disappearing, the beginning of a green flash appeared.

Sure enough, a green flash!

And here the green intensifies before it is over...in a flash.

Green flashes are photographable optical illusions. Light from the sunset is refracted, giving us this phenomenon. They are said to be good luck. Last night there was one of the most beautiful green flashes I have ever seen. There were clouds framing it, but the horizon was obviously clear.

Thanks to Michael for allowing me to share his photos with you here.

We had a little rainstorm move through late this morning, but sunshine has returned this afternoon. We've had a lot of the wet stuff, so we can enjoy the dry weather forecast for the rest of the week, including the weekend.

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Last week there were several green flashes at sunset.  Michael Reinhart was ready with his camera and he got this photo of the optical illusion. See the green on top of the clouds? And then again on the horizon - a double green flash!

Here's a green flash taken a few years ago by Rich Kuehn. The sun appears to narrow and then pinch off at the middle. This is a perfect example of that phenomenon beginning to occur.

And Jim Grant got this amazing photo of a double green flash.

Green flashes come in various guises. To watch the sunset is always wonderful, but if you also get to see a green flash, consider yourself blessed!

Thanks to Michael, Rich and Jim for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

The fog pulled back this afternoon and the Pacific Ocean is sparkling in the sun.

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It is said that to see a green flash will bring you good luck. So I hope that if you on the Mendonoma coast, you will take the time to watch the sunset. A green flash sometimes appears at the moment the sun is disappearing from view. This first photo was taken by Peter Cracknell. Note the emerald-green color and note the clear horizon.

The green flash is a photographable mirage, caused by light refraction. Here is a photo by Richard Kuehn showing the classic hour-glass, where the top of the sun seems to pinch off from the bottom. You can see a green flash at the top of the hour-glass. But there might have been a bigger green flash a moment after Rich took this photo.

If you are extremely lucky, a green flash will morph into a blue flash. This photo was taken by Allen Vinson and it also has hints of purple on the edges - it's very rare to get a photo of this.

Allen also captured this green flash. Look! There are two green flashes in his photo.

Allen always celebrates his green flash viewing with a green flash cocktail. Very civilized, Allen!

If you interested in learning the mechanics of a green flash, here is an article that might help: http://aty.sdsu.edu/explain/explain.html

I'll be watching the sunset tonight. How about you?

Thanks to Peter, Rich and Allen for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

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Last Friday and Saturday the Mendonoma Coast experienced offshore breezes and there was a green flash each night at sunset. Tom Eckles manged to photograph Saturday's Green Flash. I am quite jealous as I have tried and failed to capture this phenomenon. I console myself with the fact Tom is a professional photographer. Thanks, Tom, for allowing me to share your photo here. Yes, the Green Flash is NOT a myth!

To see more of Tom's photography, here is the link to his website: www.tomeckles.com

To see a photo of the Green Flash by Richard Kuehn, here is the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/02/07/the-green-flash-was-photographed-by-richard-kuehn/

And one more Green Flash photo on this site, this one by Frank Vaskelis: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2011/04/28/the-green-flash-its-not-a-myth/

And perhaps you'd like to learn how to make a green flash cocktail! Here's the link: http://www.mendonomasightings.com/2012/01/01/dawn-of-the-new-year-as-photographed-by-coastal-photographer-craig-tooley-and-the-green-flash-cocktail/