Woman Mistakes Tomato Factory Lights For Aurora In The UK
She felt slightly disappointed as she'd never seen an aurora before.
By Aleya Natasha Mohd Ali — 25 Oct 2024, 12:29 PM
A woman uploaded photos of what she believed to be an aurora in the UK yesterday, 24 October
In the community Facebook group 'Stunning Suffolk', Dee Harrison, 56, posted three photos of the Northern Lights-style phenomenon at 5.15am local time in Bramford, England.
"Guess it's an aurora, not seen one before," she stated in her post.
The pictures show a beautiful pink and red glow from the sky, captivating hundreds of netizens who praised the impressive shots.
However, someone soon pointed out that the lights were actually coming from Suffolk Sweet Tomatoes, a tomato factory nearby
Adam Cotterell, 34, who lives about 3km away in Somersham, said he often sees the sky light up in a colourful glow "in the right weather conditions".
After the photos went viral, Cotterell told the BBC that the beautiful glow actually comes from the tomato factory in Great Blakenham, which uses LED light units to promote the growth of its plants.
"Since the tomato factory has been there, you have always been able to see a red and pink hue in the sky when there is mist or fog in the air," he said.
Harrison later apologised in her Facebook post, saying she was "slightly disappointed" not to have witnessed a real aurora
She also expressed surprise at not having noticed the red hues in the past on the road she frequently drove.
"At first I thought something was on fire but when I parked up, I could see this deep pink sky - it looked brighter through my phone camera so I thought it was an aurora.
"But it wasn't unfortunately, so I was a bit disappointed because I thought I was up early seeing this aurora and I had it all to myself," she told the BBC.
Even so, many Facebook users remained in awe of the photos and expressed their admiration for the interesting sight
