The Green Flash

Late last week I spent some time on the Florida Gulf Coast watching beautiful blue sky days end with magnificent sunsets. No luck, though, in terms of seeing the Green Flash.

Not long ago, I questioned the existence of the Green Flash. Not now. Too many beer-toting beach goers swear by it and too many bar stool conversations have confirmed it. Besides, Wikipedia says it’s true. In fact, Wikipedia explains that it is an optical phenomena resulting from light from the sun separating into different colors under certain atmospheric conditions. So there I stood, a believer, waiting for the Green Flash – a bright momentary burst of green that appears just over the top rim of the sun as it sets.

Back home in New England, I’ve had more luck spotting nature’s light shows on the water. One of the more interesting sights is a mirage that creates a mirrored image on the horizon. From our house in Rhode Island, we look out at Cuttyhunk and Martha’s Vineyard in the distance. On a rare occasion, a light play duplicates this distant image, one on top of the other. I’ve seen this at night, too, when the distant beam of the Gay Head light at the tip of the Vineyard is doubled, flashing out two beams, one above the other (no comments on evening consumption, please). If you haven’t seen this phenomena yourself, you’ll have to trust me and wait and watch, just as I do with the Green Flash.

Internet images and You Tube videos give us a sense of the Green Flash or mirages on the horizon. Descriptions of these events also find their way into fiction. Yet, these gifts are best consumed outside and in-person. Best of all, nature’s various light shows are available to all. You just have to watch.

I’ll be there with you.

By John M. Urban

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