green flash

noun

1. a green coloration of the upper portion of the sun, caused by atmospheric refraction and occasionally seen as the sun rises above or sinks below the horizon.

green flash

noun

1. astronomy a flash of bright green light sometimes seen as the sun passes below the horizon, caused by a combination of the dispersion, scattering, and refraction of light

Word History and Origins

Origin of green flash¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Example Sentences

Another, Marco, said he experience a light green flash.

From Seattle Times

As Flabby Tabby sat there, chewing his final treat with a stupid expression on his face, I pressed the button, closed my eyes against the green flash, and...

From Literature

And then, in the background, I saw the green flash.

From Literature

It was the green flash that woke me.

From Literature

I’d just picked up the latest Americaman comic to read for the millionth time when it happened—a bright green flash lighting up the sky outside the window.

From Literature