Gone in 60 Seconds: A Green Flash Sunset

Explanation: In 60 seconds, this setting Sun will turn green. Actually, the top of the Sun already appears not only green, but wavey -- along with all of its edges. The Sun itself is unchanged -- both effects are caused by looking along hot and cold layers in Earth's atmosphere . The unusual color is known as a green flash and occurs because these atmospheric layers not only shift background images but disperse colors into slightly different directions, like a prism . The featured video was captured earlier this month off the coast of Hawai i , USA . After waiting those 60 seconds, at the video's end, the upper part of the Sun seems to hover alone in space, while turning not only green , but blue . Then suddenly, the Sun appears to shrink to nothing -- only to return tomorrow.