Green Light Over Thailand’s Night Sky Not the Aurora Borealis

Campers at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province said they were awe when they saw a bright green light in the night sky, and thought it was the aurora borealis, however scientists said “Impossible.”

Pictures of a green glow in the sky were shared on the Facebook page of Khao Panoenthung, prompting some to wonder if the phenomenon was related to the aurora borealis. Those who travelled to Khao Panoenthung Mountain reported seeing green lights and believing it was the aurora borealis as well.

Between 7 and 10 p.m. on Friday, Mongkol Chaipakdee, head of Kaeng Krachan National Park, reported seeing a green light emanate from the mountain in the western sky. There were probably around 200 campers there. When the moon came out, the green light went away.

Above the Tanaosri mountain range, where the highest peak is only 1,200 metres above sea level, the green glow reflected off the clouds. The lights came up when the local mountaintop temperature was around 20 degrees Celsius, he claimed.

On November 2nd, 2021, and January 1st, 2022, photographers at the same spot captured similar lighting.

Authorities shot down the rumour, noting that aurora cannot emerge in the sky over Thailand since the country is too distant from the poles.

An astronomer from Thailand’s National Astronomical Research Institute, named Matipon Tangmatitham, formerly opined that the country was too far from Earth’s poles for aurora to be observed from Bangkok.

He noted that the Aurora were not cloudy. Stars would light through them.

Stargazing was apparently impossible at Kaeng Krachan National Park due to the glare of the green light. According to Mr. Matipon, it was probably visible on clouds that reflected green lights from the ground below.

He reasoned that the many squid boats operating in the Gulf of Thailand were responsible for the green light. Fishermen usually used green lights to entice squid there, he noted.

In the December 2017 photograph, taken by an NASA astronaut from the International Space Station on December 10, 2017, shows the city of Bangkok, the capital and largest city in Thailand, illuminated by city lights.

The adjacent waters of the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand are illuminated by hundreds of green lights on fishing boats.

Fishermen use the lights to attract plankton and fish, the preferred diet of commercially important squid. As the bait swims to the surface, the squid follow to feed and get caught by fishermen.

Aurora Borealis Explained

The Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, is a natural light display that occurs in the Earth’s polar regions. It is characterized by colorful, dancing lights in the night sky, primarily in high-latitude regions near the North Pole. Its southern counterpart is called the Aurora Australis, or the Southern Lights, which occurs near the South Pole.

The Northern Lights are caused by the interaction of charged particles from the Sun with the Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere.

The colors and patterns of the Northern Lights can vary depending on the type of gases in the atmosphere and the altitude at which the interactions occur.

It’s a beautiful and natural phenomenon that has fascinated people for centuries and continues to be a popular tourist attraction in regions like Scandinavia, Canada, and Alaska. To witness the Aurora Borealis, you typically need to visit a location with dark skies, low light pollution, and the right geomagnetic conditions.