During this 3rd episode of the Suhaili crossing (see video below), the crew wonders if they will be able to observe the green ray. Many sailors talk about it, but most of the time they are unable to prove that they have seen it. The ray would indeed be so fleeting and so pale that it would be very difficult to photograph it at sea. So does it really exist?
I've spent many long cumulative hours waiting for this phenomenon offshore. Rather pleasant waiting, as it consisted of watching the sun set on the horizon. While writing this article, I also discovered with deep disappointment that I had missed many other opportunities to see it. Simply because I didn't know that it could also be seen at dawn! In any case, like all mythomaniacs who criss-cross the oceans, I allow myself to confirm that it does exist, but that I couldn't immortalise it on my film.
To observe it, you really need anticyclonic conditions, no clouds on the horizon and excellent visibility. If I understand correctly, this is necessary to allow the sun's rays the necessary distance to separate the rays of the light spectrum, from the point on the horizon where the star disappears to your retina.
Speaking of the retina, protect your eyes, be careful not to stare too much at the sun, even at dusk.
If you get seasick, you may be able to observe this phenomenon from the coast, ideally from the top of a mountain.
The legendary aspect of this optical phenomenon is perhaps linked to its treatment in the literature. Thus Jules Verne dedicated to it an eponymous novel "The Green Ray". In this novel, a young woman, Helena Campbell, is promised to marry a scientist whom she finds boring. To avoid it, she asks to delay his agreement until she has observed the green ray. The green ray is supposed to allow her to see clearly into her suitor's feelings.
In the end, I have no desire to prove its existence to you at all. The green ray draws all its magic from its mystery. By the way, did you know that at the exact moment you will see it, the sun will have already disappeared below the horizon?
