Residents in China’s eastern port city of Zhoushan were surprised when the skies turned crimson for a brief period over the weekend. While some suspected there was an out-of-control fire nearby, others simply assumed it was the beginning of the end.
Locals shared videos and photographs of the huge sky in red on social media sites like Twitter as many ventured outside their homes to watch the first-ever such event in the district. One person said they’d never seen anything quite like it, while another said it’s a “blood-red colour” that “doesn’t look nice at all.” “I’m confident this is completely natural and not a sign of the end of the world.” “Right?” asked the third person on Twitter.
Meteorological specialists in Zhoushan hurried to determine out what was producing the frightening-looking red sky, according to the Independent. They found that it was caused by lights reflected from nearby vessels in low clouds.
The lights that turned the sky crimson were coming from a fishing boat gathering Pacific saury fishes, according to the Independent, citing Global Times. Officials in Zhoushan also confirmed that there was no fire in the port city when the skies turned red.
The weather in the eastern port city was ideal for a refraction event, according to meteorological experts, since the sky was gloomy with precipitation, resulting in an odd reddening of the sky, causing a brief panic. They also claimed that when meteorological circumstances are favourable, more water is formed in the atmosphere. Experts said that this creates aerosols, which then reflect and scatter the loft of fishing boats, resulting in the crimson sky observed by the public.
Furthermore, they stated that no geomagnetic or solar activity could have caused the Zhoushan sky to become red. According to the report, solar and geomagnetic activity in the port city, which could cause a change in sky colour, was quiet on Saturday, with no noteworthy anomalies observed according to observation data.