Mildura residents were puzzled after the night sky surprised them with an eerie pink glow. Some thought it was an alien invasion, but a pharmaceutical company confirmed it was just light from a medicinal facility.

Silhouette of mountain sunset
(Photo: Chris Barbalis/Unsplash)
Silhouette of a mountain sunset


Residents' Reaction to the Pink Glow in Mildura Sky

On Wednesday night, while feeding the horses, Alexandra Talent's husband observed that they appeared a little distracted. The topic of aliens was naturally brought up as the children's imaginations went wild.

Tammy Szumowski, a Mildura resident, said the light was bizarre. "I was talking to my mum, and my dad said the world was ending," Szumowki said.

Szumowski's friend commented after she posted the photos on her social media account. Yet, her friends got confused and freaked out. She said some speculated that it was an asteroid or a comet. She even mentioned that someone thought that there were aliens in the area. People gathered on their front porches and backyards in Mildura and the nearby villages to take pictures of the spectral glow.

In another scene, around 6.30 p.m., Red Cliffs resident Andrew Kynaston and his wife returned home after picking up their Covid booster. Although Kynaston is used to watching sunsets, he claimed to have never witnessed a view like that. Using his wife's phone, he snapped a few images. He thought that might have some deflection until he saw the comments later. That is the time when he understood what it was.

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Pink Glow in Mildura Sky Comes from a Cannabis Farm

Chief of Staff, ABC Mildura-Swan Hill, and ABC Wimmera, Sarah Tomlinson tweeted that the pink glow came from a medicinal cannabis farm reflecting off clouds. The confusion was addressed after the pharmaceutical company Cann Group said that the light came from its medicinal cannabis facility. It was revealed that the blackout blinds were left open, which allowed them to see the red spectrum light. Red light is one of the many spectrums of light used that aid the cannabis plant is growing.

Cann Group Ltd. was the first company in Australia to acquire licenses for the cultivation of cannabis for medical and research purposes.

After purchasing the property in 2019, its Mildura facility acquired its GMP license on July 7 to develop and provide various medicinal cannabis products internally. In June, it harvested its first crop for commercial purposes.

Federal Member for Mallee, Dr. Anne Webster, said that it was quite an exciting site, but because of the nature of its business, it operates in a secret location and is not accessible to the general public.

Cannabis propagation is quite intriguing, and it's fascinating how lights are used to shorten the development cycle and speed up the entire process. She said she looks forward to many other innovative producers coming to the region and bringing their glow.

Commercial cannabis growing lights can sometimes approach 2000 PPFD when measured in photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). One light manufacturing company claims that 2000 PPFD is nearly the PPFD of the sun on a cloudless day.

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