A woman was left disappointed after mistaking the bright lights of a nearby tomato factory for an aurora. Dee Harrison, who resides in Ipswich, uploaded three pictures to social media of what she thought was a Northern Lights-style phenomenon in the sky above Bramford. The pictures were widely shared, with many praising the impressive snaps. However, the pink and red glow was actually from Suffolk Sweet Tomatoes’ LED light units, which are used to encourage the growth of stock.
Harrison said she was driving along Paper Mill Lane at around 05:15 BST when she noticed the red sky to her left. Initially thinking there was a fire, she later noticed the deep pink sky and believed it to be an aurora, which she captured with her phone camera. Commenting on the lights, she said, “I thought I was up early seeing this aurora and I had it all to myself.”
Adam Cotterell, a nearby resident who often sees the sky light up in colourful glow, stated that the Great Blakenham tomato factory has always created a red and pink hue in the sky when there is fog or mist in the air. The glow is most noticeable in the winter months on cold, foggy nights. However, as we move into winter, it will be more visible due to the damp evening air and low-lying mist.
This occurrence comes a few weeks after the real Northern Lights were spotted across the UK. This year, they have been particularly visible because of the biggest geomagnetic storm since 2003. The storm was explained by Sean Elvidge, a professor at the University of Birmingham. The faux pas highlights the importance of being mindful of our surroundings to understand and appreciate what we see
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