From the December 2007 issue

Does the “green flash” ever occur during sunrise, or is sunset the only time one can occur?

John Lockwood, Washington, D.C.
By | Published: December 1, 2007 | Last updated on May 18, 2023

Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Green flashes are optical phenomena characterized by a sudden, localized color transition on the Sun's disk, specifically from red or orange to green.
  • These atmospheric events are observed with equal frequency during both sunrise and sunset.
Green flashes — when part of the Sun suddenly changes color from red or orange to green — occur at sunrise as often as sunset.