Green Flash

There were some spectacular sunsets a few weeks ago down West
when I was on holiday there.
Now I normally find sunset shots about as interesting to look at
as a concrete wall but there were some interesting optical phenomena happening.
This first one is the 'Green Flash'.



Here is what's happening there:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_flash

And some weird 'Mushroom Cloud' looking sun(s) as the
globe split in two as it set.
First is got squashed and then there was a tiny 'Sun' rise up to meet
the bottom of it..
all to do with the atmosphere of course but interesting to see none the less.

I wonder if this is where they're filming Pirates of the Caribbean 4 (you have to have seen 3:At World's End to know what I'm on about!)

Very intriguing shots, I'll agree with you there. Atmospheric diffraction? Something like the way the sky is blue during the day, red to orange at twilight, and so on.

There is sort of a mix of a few things going on...
but it is essentially caused by atmospheric refraction.

Refraction or Diffraction Frank? Refraction would be how we can still see the limb of the Sun on the horizon even though it really lies below the horizon (if there were no atmosphere in the last horizon shot, you wouldn't see the Sun at all). Diffraction is the splitting up of the colours.

Seanie.

Seanie_Morris wrote:

Refraction or Diffraction

as I say above,
a bit of both going on to produce the overall effect.
On the same night I photographed the Moon rising
and caught that effect...
too tired /busy to post them up now...

Cool shots, Frank!

-- Jeff.