Sunset Sunday – The Green Flash, Laguna Beach, California

The Green Flash.

Sunset aficionados know about it. Some don’t believe it exists, some quest for it like a crusade for the holy grail, and others, the fortunate few, can claim witness to its majesty.

I’ll admit I remained semi-skeptical until that day.  The day when walking along beach and watching the sun dip into the pacific ocean it occurred. I watched the Green Flash.

the Green Flash Sunset

Just like a flash bulb photo from the 1930s, a brilliant blast of light pulsated immediately after the last edge of the sun dipped below the horizon. Not necessarily a gorgeous green, but when reviewing Roy G Biv’s rainbow of colors, yes green is the only color I could call it. The flash also seemed to travel along the horizon outwards from the center. Brilliant and beautiful.

Immediately you take notice of the conditions. The wind, the water, the waves. No one really knows (or no one I know knows) the required settings. Maybe a scientist can explain it, maybe it’s our imagination, maybe it’s our eyes burning from staring at the sun. But once you see it, you do desire another chance viewing.

A simple search on You Tube will return numerous clips containing green flash sunsets, some real, perhaps some a little ‘adjusted,’ Either way, I looked at many. I never found one to match the beauty of my view with my own eyes.

a day after the green flash…

On that day, I didn’t take a picture. I didn’t have my camera and I am partially glad for that fact. I could do nothing but watch. But the following day, I returned to the exact same spot. No green flash that evening, but I did take this photograph. Another splendid sunset from Laguna Beach, CA.

I am curious, please let me know if you’ve seen the Green Flash (poll removed with updated versioning, data lost

stay adventurous, Craig