What would make the sun turn green? One man saw it and caught it on camera
THIS strange image has captured the brief moment our sun turned green.
A NASA image of solar flares taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory which gives it a green hue
The rare phenomenon known as a "green flash" was capture on camera despite lasting just a few seconds.
Amateur photographer Derek Ryan had set up his equipment hoping to catch a spectacular early-morning sunrise, but snapped the unusual spectacle in the process.
A green flash is a phenomenon in which part of the sun can be observed suddenly and briefly changing colour.
He said: "It's a phenomenon that you can see every now and then.
"It was a nice morning and I was walking along the beach before my shift and managed to catch it just at the right time."
Derek Ryan had set up his equipment hoping to catch a spectacular early-morning sunrise,
The event tends to lasts only a second or two - which is why it is referred to as a flash - as the sun changes from red or orange.
A green flash is more likely to be seen in clear air when more of the light from the sun reaches the observer without being scattered.
Derek, a community nurse from Tarves, Aberdeenshire, witnessed the spectacle on his local beach.
He added: "I had set the camera up to take a photo of it when the sun was rising and just happened to be in the exact right place when it was happening.
"It was stunning. It was the first time I managed to get a good shot of it."