When it comes to the green flash at sunset, people fall into one of two camps: those who have seen it with their very eyes and swear by its majesty, and those who say it's just a figment of our imagination.
Hawaii-based videographer Eric Sterman falls into the former, having recently caught the flash while making a time-lapse video of the sunset on the north shore of Oahu. As the last sliver of sun falls below the horizon -- right after a couple of breaching whales make an appearance, because, Hawaii -- the video shows a quick green glint:
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NASA explains that the sun could flash green before sunrise or after sunset because the atmosphere refracts the sunlight at that angle:
Like a weak prism, the Earth's atmosphere breaks white sunlight into colors, bending red colors slightly and green and blue colors through increasingly larger angles. When the sky is clear, a green flash just above the sun's edge can sometimes be seen for a second or so, when the sun is close to a distant horizon.
Because of Hawaii's wide open skies and seemingly endless horizons, the Aloha State offers one of the best chances you'll get to see the elusive green flash. Synchronizing it with beautiful breaching whales, however, might be a touch more difficult.
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