185:, where tens of thousands of personnel were stationed between 1942 and 1947, training American and Allied pilots. This massive field was then used for years as a regional airport, with daily airline service. Since Marfa AAF and its satellite fields are each constantly patrolled by sentries, they consider it unlikely that any unusual phenomena would remain unobserved and unmentioned. According to Dunning, the likeliest explanation is that the lights are a sort of
61:
20:
39:, in the United States. Onlookers have attributed them to a number of paranormal phenomena, including ghosts, UFOs, and flying dinosaurs, among other things. They are most often seen from a viewing area nearby. Many of the lights there have been determined by to be atmospherically distorted versions of headlights on the nearby
247:
equipment to observe lights from the Marfa lights viewing station. They recorded a number of lights that "could have been mistaken for lights of unknown origin", but in each case the movements of the lights and the data from their equipment could be easily explained as automobile headlights or small
69:
163:
Bunnell lists 34 Marfa lights sightings from 1945 through 2008. Monitoring stations were put in place starting in 2003. He has identified "an average of 9.5 MLs on 5.25 nights per year", but believes that the monitoring stations may only be finding half of the Marfa lights in
Mitchell Flat.
133:
Referring to the Marfa Lights View Park east of Marfa (coordinates: 30°16'30"N 103°52'59"W), James
Bunnell describes Marfa lights as "orbs of light", which change in intensity and color, which can move or remain stationary, splitting or merging. He describes the lights as being usually
51:
created by the igneous rock under
Mitchell Flat. A set of cameras maintained by James Bunnell, pointed away from common thoroughfares, detected about 40 apparently "genuine" Marfa lights, meaning those with odd behaviour not explainable as highway lights, over the period 2000 to 2008.
125:
Robert and Judy Wagers define "Classic Marfa Lights" as being seen south-southwest of the Marfa Lights
Viewing Center (MLVC). They define the left margin of the viewing area as being aligned along the Big Bend Telephone Company tower as viewed from the MLVC, and the right margin as
189:
caused by sharp temperature gradients between cold and warm layers of air. Marfa is at an elevation of 4,688 ft (1,429 m) above sea level, and temperature differentials of 40–50 °F (22–28 °C) between high and low temperatures are quite common.
43:, but some lights as of 2017, including those which move backward, dance around, or disappear suddenly, have not been explained. The Marfa lights have also been speculated to be caused by natural methane reserves, similar to the mechanism which causes
230:
They came to the conclusion that all the lights observed over a four-night period southwest of the view park could be reliably attributed to automobile headlights traveling along U.S. 67 between Marfa and
Presidio, Texas.
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spent four days investigating and recording lights observed southwest of the view park using traffic volume-monitoring equipment, video cameras, binoculars, and chase cars. Their report made the following conclusions:
142:
The first historical record of the Marfa lights was in 1883 when a young cowhand, Robert Reed
Ellison, saw a flickering light while he was driving cattle through Paisano Pass and wondered if it was the campfire of the
147:. Other settlers told him they often saw the lights, but that when they investigated they found no ashes or other evidence of a campsite. Joe and Anne Humphreys next reported seeing the lights in 1885.
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fires. They concluded that due to the rarity of observation of "genuine" Marfa lights, those with odd behaviour not explainable as car lights, more research was necessary to determine their nature.
888:
Stephan, Karl D.; Bunnell, James; Klier, John; Komala-Noor, Laurence (2011). "Quantitative intensity and location measurements of an intense long-duration luminous object near Marfa, Texas".
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yellow-orange, but also occasionally other hues including green, blue, and red. He states that they usually fly above desert vegetation but below mesas in the background.
722:"Skeptoid #38: The Marfa Lights: A Real American Mystery – No matter how much we want these Texas ghost lights to be mysterious, it turns out they're all too mundane"
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notes that the designated "View Park" for the lights, a roadside park on the south side of U.S. Route 90 about 9 miles (14 km) east of Marfa, is at the site of
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987:
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According to Judith
Brueske, the favorite place from which to view the lights is a widened shoulder on Highway 90 about nine miles east of
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When the group parked a vehicle on U.S. 67 and flashed its headlights, this was visible at the view park and appeared to be a Marfa light.
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The frequency of lights southwest of the view park correlates with the frequency of vehicle traffic on U.S. 67.
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included stories dating to the 19th century and a photograph of the Marfa lights by a local rancher.
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334:. The Union Trade had a song called "Marfa Lights" on their 2015 album "A Place Of Long Years".
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A car passing the parked vehicle appeared as one Marfa light passing another at the view park.
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997:
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Dennis Stacy, "The Marfa Lights, A Viewer's Guide," Seale & Stacy, San
Antonio, TX 1989
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The lights have been featured and mentioned in various media, including the television show
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Stephan, Karl D.; Ghimire, Sagar; Stapleton, William A.; Bunnell, James (1 August 2009).
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527:"Spectroscopy applied to observations of terrestrial light sources of uncertain origin"
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Spectroscopy applied to observations of terrestrial light sources of uncertain origin
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840:
Darack, Ed (2008). "Unlocking the
Atmospheric Secrets of the Marfa Mystery Lights".
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The motion of the observed lights was in a straight line, corresponding to U.S. 67.
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A Marfa light (center) seen from the official viewing platform east of Marfa, Texas
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The "Marfa Lights" label within this image shows where Marfa lights can be seen.
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748:. The Society of Physics Students at the University of Dallas. Archived from
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The first published account of the lights appeared in the July 1957 issue of
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History of Marfa and
Presidio County, Texas 1535–1946, Volume 1, 1535–1900
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David Stipp, "Marfa, Texas, Finds a Flickering Fame in Mystery Lights,"
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Stolyarov, Alexander; Jeff Klenzing; Patrick Roddy; R.A. Heelis (2004).
483:"Scientists Can't Fully Explain These Strange Floating Lights in Texas"
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929:(Marfa, TX: The Presidio County Historical Commission, 1985), 194, 197
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793:"Marfa Is Now Such a Stereotype They Can Mock It on 'The Simpsons'"
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40:
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The Marfa Lights: Examining the Photographic Evidence (2003–2007)
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Moran, Paul (July 1957). "The Mystery of the Texas Ghost Light".
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144:
60:
887:
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312:," a love song inspired by the lights, for his 2016 album "
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Discussion of the Marfa Lights (and other 'ghost lights')
881:, Texas A&M University Press, 1976, pp. 149–167
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122:, to the south) primarily by their aberrant movements."
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Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics
214:is visible from the Marfa lights viewing location.
979:
874:, Vol. 166, No. 4, Summer 1992, pp. 400–406
814:Borraz Aymerich, Manuel; Olmos, Juan Ballester.
813:
431:Fiumi, Elettra; Stein, Eliot (17 January 2018).
330:tries to explain the lights but is prevented by
35:are a light phenomenon regularly observed near
836:. Lacey Publishing Company, Benbrook, TX, 2015
649:
433:"The mysterious 'Ghost Lights' of Marfa, Texas"
298:" from the 2011 re-release of their 1978 album
973:Texas Monthly article "The Truth Is Out There"
743:"An Experimental Analysis of the Marfa Lights"
689:
696:. The Rosen Publishing Group. pp. 157–.
683:
629:. Lacey Publishing Company. pp. 14–15.
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294:mention the "lights of Marfa" in the song "
239:For 20 nights in May 2008, scientists from
868:Herbert Lindee, "Ghosts Lights of Texas,"
549:"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990"
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597:. R&J Books Unique. pp. 75–79.
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693:Famous Ghost Stories: Legends and Lore
595:Mysteries of the Marfa Lights Revealed
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988:Reportedly haunted locations in Texas
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459:Feldman, Claudia (19 December 2010).
16:Atmospheric light phenomenon in Texas
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577:. Ocotillo Enterprises. p. 7.
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506:Lallanilla, Marc (19 June 2023).
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156:magazine. In 1976 Elton Miles's
952:DeMystifying the "Marfa Lights"
791:Dan Solomon (January 8, 2019).
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773:Stephan, Karl D. et al. (2009)
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481:Rogers, Kaleigh (2017-05-09).
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290:, was inspired by the lights.
270:"Of Mice and Little Green Men"
1:
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204:University of Texas at Dallas
198:In May 2004 a group from the
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834:Strange Lights in West Texas
508:"What Are the Marfa Lights?"
326:", the family visits Marfa.
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910:10.1016/j.jastp.2011.06.002
779:American Journal of Physics
553:United States Census Bureau
531:American Journal of Physics
461:"What's going on in Marfa?"
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272:) and in an episode of the
200:Society of Physics Students
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10:
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828:– via Academia.edu.
130:as viewed from the MLVC.
993:Atmospheric ghost lights
922:, March 21, 1984, p. A1.
573:Brueske, Judith (1989).
854:10.3200/WEWI.61.3.36-43
690:Brian Haughton (2011).
625:Bunnell, James (2009).
593:Wagers, Robert (2012).
304:. Country music artist
241:Texas State University
235:Spectroscopic analysis
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94:30.31194°N 104.02472°W
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1013:UFO-related phenomena
879:Tales of the Big Bend
650:Smith, Julia Cauble.
356:Brown Mountain lights
173:Atmospheric phenomena
158:Tales of the Big Bend
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63:
47:, and as a result of
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1003:Environment of Texas
962:Skeptic's Dictionary
627:Hunting Marfa Lights
99:30.31194; -104.02472
49:piezoelectric charge
919:Wall Street Journal
902:2011JASTP..73.1953S
345:Aleya (Ghost light)
183:Marfa Army Airfield
118:(between Marfa and
90: /
33:Marfa ghost lights,
925:Cecilia Thompson,
871:Skeptical Inquirer
292:The Rolling Stones
262:and an episode of
259:Unsolved Mysteries
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31:also known as the
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945:Handbook of Texas
720:(11 April 2007).
465:Houston Chronicle
324:Mad About the Toy
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896:(13): 1953.
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366:Gurdon Light
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310:Marfa Lights
306:Paul Cauthen
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282:. A book by
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73:Marfa, Texas
37:Marfa, Texas
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959:– from the
842:Weatherwise
512:LiveScience
288:The Shimmer
97: /
982:Categories
820:. Academia
759:19 January
559:2011-04-23
492:2024-07-07
408:References
361:Chir Batti
301:Some Girls
194:Car lights
116:Highway 67
85:104°1′29″W
82:30°18′43″N
942:from the
862:191405224
322:episode "
314:My Gospel
286:, 2009's
727:Skeptoid
347:, Bengal
338:See also
319:Simpsons
279:So Weird
177:Skeptic
120:Presidio
56:Overview
41:Route 67
898:Bibcode
824:16 July
673:Coronet
308:wrote "
202:at the
153:Coronet
138:History
947:Online
860:
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444:6 July
351:Aurora
187:mirage
145:Apache
858:S2CID
753:(PDF)
746:(PDF)
413:Notes
332:Marge
243:used
112:Marfa
826:2020
761:2017
698:ISBN
679:(3).
631:ISBN
599:ISBN
537:(8).
487:Vice
446:2024
328:Lisa
27:The
906:doi
850:doi
438:BBC
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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