November 10, 2002
Somewhere between the hydrogen and the starlight, between the gravity and the grace, the universe conspired to bring you into being.
A Green Flash from the Sun
Birthday · November 10, 2002
A little universe, just for you
Your date.
Ready to give.
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APOD published November 10, 2002. Credit: Pekka Parviainen (Polar Image). A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
Many think it is just a myth. Others think it is true but its cause isn't known. Adventurers pride themselves on having seen it. It's a green flash from the Sun. The truth is the green flash does exist and its cause is well understood. Just as the setting Sun disappears completely from view, a last glimmer appears startlingly green. The effect is typically visible only from locations with a low, distant horizon, and lasts just a few seconds. A green flash is also visible for a rising Sun, but takes better timing to spot. A dramatic green flash was caught in the above photograph in 1992 from Finland. The Sun itself does not turn partly green, the effect is caused by layers of the Earth's atmosphere acting like a prism.
Image credit: Pekka Parviainen (Polar Image)