Marfa Lights
In a small town in Texas, there is something big happening. About 9 miles outside of Marfa, mysterious lights allegedly appear out of nowhere and float around the desert. Although many theories surround this phenomenon, there is no 100% agreed upon evidence to explain their existence.
Although the viewing platform wasn't built until the 1980s, the phenomena had been observed for decades past. In fact, the first written record of the Marfa lights dates all the way back to 1883, when Robert Reed Ellison, a cowhand, saw the strange lights when driving cattle. Other settlers in the area also gossiped about the strange lights they saw. Jumping all the way to 1957, the first printed account of the lights appeared in Coronet magazine. There have been at least 30 serious sightings of the Marfa lights from 1945 to 2008, and monitoring stations have even been erected to keep an eye on them.
Despite numerous scientific studies, the Marfa Lights have yet to be definitively debunked. In 2004, a group of physics students conducted a series of tests over four nights and ultimately determined that any paranormal claims lacked credibility. However, many locals still believe there is something not-so-ordinary in the Marfa Lights and continue to flock to the roadside viewing platform to catch a glimpse of the unexplained spectacle.
The lights themselves appear to be whimsical and without a true pattern or purpose. Sometimes they are said to zoom across the plains and whip about before dissolving. They are usually described as orb-like and other worldly. The lights are usually red, blue, or white but largely red. They appear randomly throughout the night, as long as it is somewhat clear, no matter the season.
To this day, decades later, on clear nights as the sun sets, people from all over the world head to the roadside Marfa Lights Viewing platform and stare out, hoping to see the phenomena for themselves.
Some folks claim they are an atmospheric distortion of cars and campfires in the night. Others claim it is a natural phenomena, weird and wonderful but completely terrestrial. But others believe they are ghost lights or markers from other worlds.
One of the reasons we know the story so well is thanks to Armando Vasquez, who first saw the lights in 1971. He noted that business in Marfa had been slow, even with the slow trickle of artists and creative following Donald Judd. He believed he could make a business and drum up tourism with the lights. So, for the next twenty years Vasquez led tours to the best spots to look for the lights. He credits the lights and people's interest in them as one of the reasons Marfa avoided becoming a ghost town. The viewing station was erected in 1986. He even went as far as petitioning the Marfa Chamber of Commerce to promote the tourist draw. However, they largely ignored him until 1986 when they launched the first Marfa Lights Festival (which is still held every September).
Another major Marfa Lights player is James Bunnell, a now retired NASA aerospace engineer who grew up and returned to the area. In 2000 he saw the lights for the first time and described it as "shocking" and something he could find no explanation for. For over a decade, he's investigated the lights, recorded first person accounts, and, of course, has hung out around the viewing platforms. He has a few theories, such as Earth's underground friction being the culprit, but nothing definite yet.
The Marfa Lights are an enigma that have fascinated visitors to the area for over a century. Whether you believe they are caused by distant headlights or are the work of ghosts and aliens, there is no denying the eerie feeling that the Marfa Lights tend to elicit.
Thanks to C. Maxey for this blogstonishing suggestion!
The blog feature image highlights Marfa Lights viewing platform, east of Marfa, Texas, USA. It was taken by Daniel Schwin. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
