Dubliners thought they saw the 'Northern Lights' - but it was just a strawberry farm
Dubliners were left embarrassed after mistaking a beautiful pink glow in the sky for the Northern Lights - only to discover it was something else entirely.
Dubliners have been left red-faced after mistakenly identifying a spectacular glow in the sky as the 'Northern Lights' - only to learn it was something else entirely.
In recent weeks, social media has been flooded with posts from Dubliners sharing incredible photos and videos of what they thought was the rare and beautiful 'Northern Lights'. The images, which showed a striking pink hue lighting up the night sky, piqued the interests of others, who marvelled at the unexpected beauty above the city.
But the excitement was short-lived, as the truth behind the stunning display has now been revealed. The source of the so-called 'Northern Lights' was not the aurora borealis - but rather artificial lights from a nearby strawberry farm.
The glowing pink display is actually caused by the Keelings farm, located near Dublin Airport, which uses specially designed lights to help its strawberries grow.
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Irish aviation journalist @Shauns_Aviation shared the revelation with his followers on X, clearing up the confusion. He explained: "Have you noticed this red glow in the sky over Dublin Airport recently? No, unfortunately you didn’t catch the Northern Lights. The light is actually coming from the Keelings farm at the Northwestern side of the airfield! The light is used to help Strawberries grow, when there is a low cloud base, you can see the light against the clouds!"
Meanwhile, over on Facebook, some of those who had initially believed they had witnessed the 'Northern Lights' were quick to share their amusement at the mix-up. Many of those who had posted photos of the pink glow have since updated their captions, laughing at their mistake.
One person wrote: "Ahahahahhaa there’s me maken videos of the “northern lights” hahahahahhahahahahahah poxy fruit farm."
Another said: "Aurora now at our place. Edit: it turned out that it was not the Northern lights... but light pollution from the nearby Keelings strawberry greenhouse haha It was otherworldly though."
A third added: "So I thought I finally got to see the northern lights, then it turns out to be the heat lamps from keelings farm, dam you dam you, but it did look nice ..."
While the Keelings farm lights may have fooled Dubliners into thinking they had seen a rare celestial event, the real Northern Lights have indeed been visible across Ireland several times this year. As recently as October, residents across the country were treated to an impressive display of the aurora borealis, with the colorful lights dancing across the skies in various parts of Ireland.
The Northern Lights are a regular sight in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, but for many in Ireland, the spectacle is a rare treat. Fortunately, the country has been seeing more frequent aurora displays this year due to an increased period of solar activity. The sun has entered its solar maximum phase - part of an 11-year cycle of heightened activity - which means there are more frequent bursts of solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These bursts send charged particles speeding through space, which, when they interact with Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, create the vibrant colors that make up the Northern Lights.
As the solar cycle continues to ramp up, it is expected that Ireland will have more opportunities to witness the aurora borealis over the next few months. Until then, however, Dubliners can rest assured that the next time they see a mysterious glow in the sky, they’ll be sure to double-check before jumping to any conclusions.
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