Science Forums 2

[stereologist]

Almost 20 years ago I was driving through west Texas on the way to Bing Bend. I came upon the town of Marfa and as soon as I saw the sign my mind started buzzing with, "where have I heard that before?" Well it turns out that Marfa is famous for the mystery lights.

The night I drove by town there was a pull out outside of the town where a large number of people were gathered to observe the lights. Now notice I said observe, not wait for the lights. Sure enough the desert was full of lights that people were pointing to and labeling mysterious.

I had already recalled the story of the lights before I saw the turn out. My recollection is that the mystery lights were observed back in the 1800s or maybe earlier. My personal feeling is that there is possibly something interesting to learn here. Unfortunately, any lights in the desert are now labeled as mysterious.

The evening I stopped to see the lights I was quickly shown a number of lights out in the desert and told that the lights were in full display again. I happened to have a nice pair of binoculars in the car and pulled them out. The mysterious white lights in the desert were seen to be paired white lights followed by paired red lights. I offered to let others observe this, but was told that I was wrong. Lights were seen to rise intothe sky in the distance. I looked there as well and saw the clear outline of a distant mountain and all of the lights following each other up and down the same line on that mountain. I suggested a road, but was told no mountain and no road. I was told that this was all empty desert wilderness with no people in it, just mysterious lights.

So maybe there are mysterious lights out in the desert by Marfa. Could be, but with all of the whoopla over cars in the desert and the odd denial of the obvious that these were cars and roads out there the possible of an interesting search for the real mystery lights is drowned in the noise of bad observations.

If others have been to Marfa I'd like to hear what they have to think about the lights.