Some residents of Edmonton thought the world was ending last night when a giant pillar of light appeared in the middle of the night sky.

The mysterious beam, which looked like something from an alien invasion, was just a standard gas flare from an oil refinery on the outskirts of the Alberta city.

Still, social media users had a bit of fun with the phenomenon, snapping a few photos of it and anticipating the end of the world.

November 26, 2019, the day we started summoning demons from the netherworld. #yeg #yegwx pic.twitter.com/PZi7fcL8OE

— Morgonomics (@Morgo_82) November 27, 2019

Flares are a planned, normal part of burning off flammable gasses that can cause over-pressuring if not released during the refining process.

This flare in particular, from the Imperial Oil refinery in Strathcona, is expected to last about two days.

Okay but I can't be the only one who looked at the mystery flare and instantly saw the wormhole from Avengers, right?? #yeg pic.twitter.com/8JEWbAJ1ck

— Ashley (@Falkenboss) November 27, 2019

Some speculated that the beam could be a rare effect caused by ice crystals in the air at this time of year.

Others assumed, or at least joked about, the worst.

Unfortunately, they're not that far off, as flares like this one contribute to climate change and are generally bad for humans and the environment, releasing carbon dioxide and potentially harmful emissions like sulfur oxides and nitrogen oxides — two factors in acid rain and also, possibly, cancer.

Welp, it's been a good run but it looks like the Apocalypse is nigh.
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(Yes, I know it's the flare at the @EPCOR Gold Bar plant but it looks damn spooky) #yeg #yegwx pic.twitter.com/EXl8dLvwdS

— ❄️ Laurie ❄️ (@MakingLaurie) November 27, 2019

Regardless, the light was a fascinating and unique occurrence that definitely seemed to catch the attention of Canadians in and around the Edmonton area.