The phenomenon was described as resembling something out of a sci-fi film, and it left people puzzled and speculating about its cause.
Images showed the pinkish hue in the sky over Thanet, and some locals jokingly mentioned the "end of the world" or referenced fictional entities like the four horsemen or Zuul from Ghostbusters.
The actual cause of the pink glow was determined to be artificial light coming from an agricultural company called Thanet Earth. Thanet Earth is a large greenhouse complex in Birchington on the Isle of Thanet, covering 90 acres of land. They are known for producing a significant amount of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers each year within their enormous glasshouses.
The pink glow was the result of the reflection of pink LED growing lights used by Thanet Earth, which reflected off low cloud cover in the area. During certain weather conditions, such as when there is low dense cloud cover, the reflection of these pink lights can create the unusual and striking pinkish appearance in the sky.
Thanet Earth explained that they use these LED lights during British winters when natural sunlight is insufficient for plant growth. They also mentioned that they take measures to mitigate light reflection, such as deploying blinds in their glasshouses once the lights are switched on. The company emphasized that their pink LED lights have lower emission levels compared to other types of growing lights.