What looked like an Alien invasion turned out to be an Australian cannabis farm lighting up the night sky Wednesday with infrared lamps used to grow their crop.
A bright pink glow confused residents of the Australian town Mildura late on July 19. The explanation was rather simple: one of the farms of the cannabis manufacturer Cann Group left the blackout blinds on their farm open, The Guardian reported.
The truth is out there!#Mildurahttps://t.co/nFlAYijoWO
— Sarah Tomlinson (@sarah_tomlinson) July 20, 2022
“As you might know, cannabis grows on an extended day length. The flowering zone is 12 hours light and 12 hours dark, which is normally 7 a.m. to 7 p.m,” CEO Peter Crock said, according to EarthSky. Lights with different wavelengths are used to grow the plants once the sun sets, causing the bright pink glow, the outlet noted. (RELATED: US Government Growing Enormous Crop Of Marijuana, Largest In 5 Years)
When the blinds were left open Wednesday night, the light show could be spotted almost an hour from the facility, according to BBC. The cannabis farms’ locations are usually not listed for safety reasons, and the company still has not revealed the exact location of the Mildura plant.
#Mildura and surrounds were treated to a spectacular sight tonight when a red light appeared in the sky.
Was it aliens?
An aurora?
No, it appears to have been the hydroponic lights from a medicinal cannabis farm reflecting off cloud which is somehow the most Mildura answer ever. pic.twitter.com/Wfy63tRrng— Sarah Tomlinson (@sarah_tomlinson) July 19, 2022
Australia legalized the medical use of cannabis in 2016, but recreational use is still prohibited. The government has approved more than 260,000 prescriptions since then, BBC reported. Illegal use is still prosecuted and 71,151 people were charged with marijuana-related crimes in 2018-19, according to the outlet.
The number of countries legalizing the medical use of marijuana continues to increase. In the U.S., 38 states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, according to the Business Insider. (RELATED: Republican-Backed Medical Marijuana Bill Clears First Hurdle In Georgia)
Cann Group harvested their first commercial cannabis in Mildura in early June 2022.