Just as many are binge-watching Stranger Things season four, some Singaporeans spotted what looked like an opening to the Upside Down, right here in our skies.
On Saturday (25 Jun) night, some observant Singaporeans noticed a mysterious vertical light in the sky.
Source: Ian Wui on Facebook
Netizens started speculating what the mysterious light, spotted in several areas across Singapore, could be.
Many said it was likely caused by an oil refinery in Johor, Malaysia.
On Saturday (25 Jun) night, many around Singapore spotted a mysterious vertical light in the sky. The phenomenon was seen in many areas, from the East to the West region.
In the East, the vertical streak lit the sky with an ominous red glow. It almost feels like we’re spectators witnessing Eleven making an opening to the Upside Down from afar.
Source: Ong Wan Ching on Facebook
The streak was also seen in Ang Mo Kio central area.
Source: Ram Nagarajan on Facebook
An MS News reader in Seletar also managed to capture this image of the light.
Source: MS News reader
Some netizens shared that the same light was also spotted from the other areas in the North-East region like Sengkang, Serangoon, and the West.
The bright orange-pink streak was described to be “stationary but flickering”.
Source: MS News reader
The mysterious light got netizens curious, and many wondered what could have caused the phenomenon.
Stranger explanations aside, there is likely to be a more logical reason.
One netizen observed that the vertical light was directly above the refinery in the Johor area.
Source: Poh Jiun Shyang on Facebook
He shared a picture of the red glow that appeared to be coming from across the waters.
Source: Poh Jiun Shyang on Facebook
Another netizen also explained that the flickering light was due to flaring work done at the refinery to remove dangerous gases.
Source: Facebook
He substantiated his inference with a picture of a vertical flame spewing from an industrial area.
Source: Facebook
Meanwhile, another netizen deduced that the phenomenon was caused by the “lensing of the light from the refinery flame, projecting it as a beam of light in the clouds.”
Source: Facebook
He added that this could only occur under the right conditions.
The Johor refinery, believed to be responsible for colouring our skies, is located in Pengerang, Johor, just across the waters from eastern Singapore.
Developed by Malaysian oil firm Petronas, Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) includes a petrochemical park.
Reuters reported that the petrochemical park was restarted in May 2022 after operations ceased in 2020.
The mysterious light is likely a result of a gas flare, a combustion device used in plants like petroleum refineries.
According to Wikipedia, it is used to burn off flammable gas released by safety valves of plant equipment to prevent a pressure build-up.
The strange vertical light almost seems like a scene straight out of Stranger Things. To the uninitiated, it can be fascinating and unsettling at the same time.
Given the explanations of knowledgeable netizens, it seems there’s no need to be alarmed.
Did you manage to capture the light in the sky last night? Share with us in the comments below.
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image courtesy of MS News reader & adapted from Ong Wan Ching on Facebook.
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