Green rim of the rising sun...

The recent cold snap has passed, and today the temperature is expected to soar to 6˚ Celsius: more in keeping with this time of year. Overnight clear skies give hope that I will get a sunrise on the horizon, and I decide on a location close to sea level to shoot the event. At 8.01 our star makes its appearance.

It's not until I get the images into my computer that I see that one of the images of the sun has a green rim (photo). At first I suspect it is the green flash; visible for only a second or two and caused by refraction of light through the atmosphere, but upon delving into the subject it turns out to be just as the title of this post says: a green rim. This phenomenon is, apparently, present in every sunrise and sunset, but as it is extremely thin it is virtually impossible to observe with the naked eye. It's only with long lenses, or other optical aids that this can be observed.

It is always worth repeating: It is never safe to look at the sun through optical instruments  - or with the unaided eye, for that matter.
The photograph was composed using the Live View feature on the rear screen of my DSLR, so the sun was not viewd directly, and therefore, safe.

300mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor with TC-14EII.  1/800 second at f/5.6. ISO 400

© 2010