Northern lights illusion debunked by biology professor

The spectacle of Northern Lights appearing in Kaeng Krachan National Park was debunked by biology professor, Jessada Denduangboriphan from Chulalongkorn University, who confirmed that such a natural phenomenon could not occur in Thailand.

Through a post on Facebook, Jessada clarified the misconceptions surrounding the strange green lights observed over Phanern Thung Mountain in Kaeng Krachan National Park on the night of November 3. Park officials had captured images of the green lights, leading to speculation and excitement that the Northern Lights had appeared.

Jessada confirmed that while the green lights were indeed seen over Phanern Thung Mountain in Kaeng Krachan, they should not be termed the Northern Lights.

“It’s a mix-up! The green lights did appear over Phanern Thung Mountain, but they are not the Northern Lights.”

The biology professor took it a step further to explain that as much as the origins of these green lights remain enigmatic and cannot be conclusively confirmed, it is imperative not to misrepresent the news as the Northern Lights.

“It is of utmost importance not to misrepresent this news as the Northern Lights.”

The professor further clarified that the lights also known as aurora, are only visible in regions and countries near the North Pole and South Pole. The phenomenon occurs due to the collision between solar wind particles from the sun and gases in the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in an explosion of multicoloured lights at an altitude over 100 kilometres above the atmosphere. Thus, it is impossible for this Northern Lights phenomenon to occur in Thailand, reported Sanook.

Images depicting a vivid green light above Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi went viral on Thai social media. While some netizens hailed it as Thailand’s inaugural aurora display, a scientist offered a more grounded explanation, attributing it to a green fishing light. Read more HERE.