Light the green beam? Mystery light fills Folsom, Granite Bay sky; we found out why!

A mysterious vibrant purple light beam filled the Folsom/Granite Bay sky Monday night, and some in town were about to instinctively chant, "Light the beam!" But wait! The Sacramento Kings were eliminated from NBA championship contention more than two weeks ago. What then, was this mysterious purple light? Many in the region took to social media to post pictures of what they saw. From Folsom and Granite Bay to Fair Oaks, it surely looked like the famous purple beam that radiates atop Golden 1 Center when the Kings score a win. But then adding to the confusion, the beam turned GREEN! The source of the lights was a mystery for many hours, but eventually, the culprit was discovered. Folsom-based Nu-Salt Laser International, owned by Tim Anderson, is the company that created the beloved purple beam for the Sacramento Kings; turns out, some of the company's "laser designers" were conducting a demonstration of their mobile beam van at Beals Point. Chris Novielli and Jeremy Fenton, were the laser designers for the company, were the ones behind the "mystery lights". "We had a new product we wanted to test and we needed to have the open air space to see what it could do outside," said Novielli. "So we had a three-hour window to go out there and test everything." Novielli explained FAA approval is needed anytime they do a laser show or make a beam of light vertical in the sky during a test or demo. So, not to worry; the light beam seen across the local sky was legal and workers followed safety protocols. "We need to have an FAA permit and we also have to call in to the FAA tower or their office about an hour before we turn on any laser," said Novielli, adding they also call back FAA officials when their test is complete to let them know the sky is clear of any colorful lasers. It all makes sense now, but for a brief while, the dazzling lights were a source of comedic speculation, with some in Facebook groups quipping things like, "Warriors lit the beam!" or, "Shaq Beacon" (referencing former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal, who was just announced as the new general manager of the Sacramento State basketball program). As for the "real" purple beam from Golden 1, sadly, Kings fans will have to wait until next season to see it light up the Sacramento sky again.