Hi,

>I just located Saipan on a globe, based on your coordinates. That's part of the Mariana Islands, right? Does "CNMI" stand for Mariana Islands?

Yes, Saipan is in the Marianas Islands. It's one of 3 inhabited islands in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, associated w/the US (we have our own customs and immigration, as opposed to Guam, 120 miles south of here, which is a US territory).


>No, I never saw it myself. I read about it in an astronomy book, and it seems that, indeed, it is a rare phenomemon, and you have to be close to the sea. I don't remember what it is, exactly - was it the Sun suddently going green, right before sunset, or something similar?

yes, the way I understand it: as the sun sets, the last rays are diffused into their component colors. if the horizon is perfectly clear and flat, there is about a .5-1.0 second "flash" of green. I've seen it, maybe 8 times.

I've also seen, amazingly enough, the green flash on venus! I was anchored in a small atoll in the S. Pacific, watching venus set, through binoculars, not expecting to see anything unusual, really. But it flashed green upon setting...I'll bet not 1000 people have ever seen that.

take care...J