An eerie green light pierced the night sky at Sungai Besar, Selangor.
The light, bright enough to illuminate the ground, surprised some people in the local area.
Source: Sakura Flowers on Facebook
Don’t put your tinfoil hats on so quickly, though. The light originated from fishing boats, which used the glow to attract fish and squid.
The annual man-made phenomenon indirectly signalled the start of the fishing season for the Selangor fishermen.
Residents of the town of Sungai Besar looked up on the night of Oct 24 to a strange sight.
A bright green glow illuminated the night sky, blanketing the seaside town. “Why’s the light so bright?” a confused local asked.
Source: Man Toya on Facebook
Other netizens posted their own perspectives, confirming its existence.
One user commented that it resembled the Northern Lights (aurora borealis). Others quickly reminded them that aurora borealis occurs in high-latitude areas, not localised entirely in an equatorial Malaysian town.
Source: Facebook
Another local noticed it near the front of their house but claimed it eventually faded after the call for night prayer.
Source: Cik Faa on Facebook
With so many perspectives of the mysterious green glow, what exactly caused it? Some pulled out the ol’ reliable explanation for any slightly mysterious phenomena: aliens.
Source: Facebook
Newspaper Utusan Malaysia enlisted the help of an environmental governance expert, Dr Haliza Abdul Rahman.
She revealed that the green light was used by fishermen to shine into the sea, luring fish and squid towards them.
Source: Sadri Sirun on Facebook
According to marine product company IMTRA, green light specifically spread the deepest into the sea, thus attracting more fish.
Sure enough, other more familiar locals quickly dismissed the light as fishing boats in the sea. They included a photo of a boat at the epicentre with a bright green light shining downwards.
Source: Mok Yaaw on Facebook
Dr Haliza explained that the fishermen saw the Northeast Monsoon season as the season for catching fish and squid. In fact, the green glow from fishing trawlers served to signal the start of the fishing season.
She further explained that water could reflect the light up into the sky, causing the mysterious colour change.
Photos from the boats themselves showed the fishermen bathed in the glaring green brightness at point-blank range.
Source: Ltkol Wahab Hj Jib on Facebook
Although spooky at first, residents can rest assured knowing the light is a sign of an incoming harvest of delicious seafood.
Source: Ltkol Wahab Hj Jib on Facebook
Last year, a mysterious vertical light in the sky caught the eye of Singaporeans, with a Johor refinery as the probable originator.
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Featured image adapted from Man Toya on Facebook and Sadri Sirun on Facebook.
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