# I saw the green flash! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 27, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080 "2020-01-27T22:50:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/1 "2020-01-27T22:50:38Z")
I have been in Costa Rica with the Mrs for over a week now. Our balcony overlooks the Pacific and every chance we have had, I have watched the sun set, looking for the green flash. Finally last night I saw it! It lasted less than half a second and occurred just as the top edge of the sun met the horizon, but it was there. Sadly the Mrs had tired of staring into the sun and thus missed it. But I got to cross that item off my bucket list. šŸ˜ƒ Next up, the Southern Cross which rises very late tonight and stays low on the horizo ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/2 "2020-01-27T22:52:05Z")
You lucky dog, you. Or should I say ā€œyou lucky Mercotanā€. Congratulations. I would love to see it. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/3 "2020-01-27T23:07:42Z")
Congrats, Iā€™ve seen it 2x. The 1st was unmistakable noticeable for anyone looking it was not big but big enough to catch attention and definitely green and happened immediately after sunset perhaps staying for a second. The second was much shorter and just appeared as a very small green dot right after sunset, you had to be looking for that one. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/4 "2020-01-27T23:13:25Z")
Congratulations! Iā€™ve been looking for years but have never seen it. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2020, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/5 "2020-01-27T23:36:14Z")
I missed it, and it was my wifeā€™s fault. She had to go back for something minor, and we got to the beach just after sunset. But I tell myself it didnā€™t flash that night anyhowā€¦ so sheā€™s still in my will. (What am I bitching aboutā€¦ Iā€™ve seen a lot of other cool stuff; marking stuff off my bucket list that Iā€™d never thought to put on it in the first place!) Exciting that you saw it, Qadgop! ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/6 "2020-01-28T00:39:49Z")
I actually got a photo of it in Hawaii. Itā€™s a cool, elusive phenomenon. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/7 "2020-01-28T00:45:48Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > Congratulations! Iā€™ve been looking for years but have never seen it. Oooh, me too. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/8 "2020-01-28T00:46:31Z")
How cool. We lived on a tropical island 6 years and watched many sunsets on the beach, but never saw the green flash. The southern cross was out all winter. I miss it. Enjoy your trip, sir. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/9 "2020-01-28T00:51:36Z")
So jealous! Iā€™ve been looking for it ever since I read the Travis McGee book decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/10 "2020-01-28T00:58:16Z")
I saw it once on ocean beach in San Francisco. Pretty darn cool. Since then, Iā€™ve seen what people call a ā€œgreen flashā€ a few times, but itā€™s more like a green dot. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/11 "2020-01-28T01:02:00Z")
Clue me in, what is the green flash? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/12 "2020-01-28T01:03:26Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Next up, the Southern Cross which rises very late tonight and stays low on the horizo Then youā€™ll know how Stephen Stills feels. ---
**Author:** ![Lancia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lancia/32/17174_2.png) [@Lancia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lancia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/13 "2020-01-28T01:04:13Z")
Growing up 45 miles from the Pacific, Iā€™ve seen the green flash (and yeah, its almost always a momentary dot) more times than I can count. I guess Iā€™ve never really thought about how rare the experience is. Never have seen the Southern Cross though and thatā€™s definitely on my bucket list. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/14 "2020-01-28T01:20:25Z")
We doused the campfire at Cape Mendocino and saw The Green Flash, and then a meteor shower. Nice night. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/15 "2020-01-28T01:36:29Z")
Iā€™ve started the midnight hike to Longs Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park during a meteor shower and it was amazing even though it was only a handful of meteors an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Leviosaurus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Leviosaurus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leviosaurus)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/16 "2020-01-28T01:43:40Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Clue me in, what is the green flash? Wikipedia is your friend: [Green flash - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash) ---
**Author:** ![Buttercup\_Smith](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buttercup_smith/32/473_2.png) [@Buttercup\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buttercup_Smith)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/17 "2020-01-28T02:16:22Z")
Iā€™ve seen it twice here in the Florida Keys. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/18 "2020-01-28T04:19:12Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > I actually got a photo of it in Hawaii. > Itā€™s a cool, elusive phenomenon. Get the fuck outta here. Ferrealz? (ā€¦ can we see? Please?) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/19 "2020-01-28T13:01:35Z")
Grrr! Iā€™ve wanted to see it for years. We used to teach a class session on it when I was teaching Optics in Utah. I hoped to see it there, but the mountains were in the way. Any time I was where the sun was setting without anything blocking the horizon, the weather wouldnā€™t cooperate. My boss at my first job took a sabbatical to take an expedition to Antarctica, and he later told us that they could see it frequently down there (it also tends to last longer, because of a ā€œductingā€ effect). So Iā€™ve been frustrated for a long tie by these reports of others seeing it. Iā€™ve had to content myself with YouTube videos of the Green Flash https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaWnukEhIaM ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2020, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080/20 "2020-01-28T13:44:34Z")
I clearly remember seeing it only once. We were on the Gulf coast of Fla about 25 yrs ago, and as the sun set, we were talking about how my dad always used to talk about the green flash. Then, there it was. And it was more than a dot - it seemed to spread out in a decent sized ā€œblob.ā€ Way cool. Havenā€™t seen it since. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-the-green-flash/847080.md?page=2)