May 10, 2012
The universe has spent billions of years making things that shine. On your birthday, we celebrate one of its quieter masterpieces.
Green Flash and Super Moon
Birthday · May 10, 2012
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published May 10, 2012. Credit: Laurent Laveder. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
It was really not about superheroes as on May 6 the much touted Super Moon, the largest Full Moon of 2012, rose over this otherwise peaceful harbor. And no supervillains were present either as boats gently rocked at their moorings near the checkerboard La Perdrix lighthouse on the coast of Brittany, France. But the rise of the Super Moon was preceded by a Green Flash, captured in the first frame of this timelapse video recorded that night. The cropped image of the frame, a two second long exposure, shows the strongly colored flash left of the lighted buoy near picture center. While the Super Moon was enjoyed at locations all around the world, the circumstances that produced the Green Flash were more restrictive. Green flashes for both Sun and Moon are caused by atmospheric refraction enhanced by long, low, sight lines and strong atmospheric temperature gradients often favored by a sea horizon.
Image credit: Laurent Laveder