The green
flash that appears at sunset has long been rumored to possess supernatural
powers. Whether or not it does, the explanation for this visual phenomenon is
simple. The Earth's atmosphere acts as a gigantic prism that disperses
sunlight.
Since green
flashes (which may be other colors, as well) are fleeting events that require
an unobstructed view of the setting sun, and a very stable atmosphere, the observatory
atop Paranal Mountain in Chile's Atacama Desert is ideally suited to witness
such events.
According
to reports, it is now traditional for the Paranal staff to gather daily on the platform
of the Very Large Telescope to look for a possible green flash before starting
their nightly observations.
This image
was taken by Stéphane Guisard (European Organisation for Astronomical Research
in the Southern Hemisphere), and more of his images can be found at www.astrosurf.com/sguisard.
As the ESO
reminds us, "Please remember that looking at the sun, especially through
an optical device (camera, telescope, binoculars, etc.), is very dangerous,
and could cause immediate blindness. Do not attempt to observe the sun unless
you know what you are doing."
— ESO and SPACE.com Staff
Image courtesy of and copyrighted by Stéphane
Guisard
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