The Marfa Lights

Since at least 1883, strange lights have been observed in the desert near Marfa, Texas. The glowing orbs appear at night, split and merge, change colors, and behave in ways that defy explanation.

The History

Cowhand Robert Reed Ellison first reported the lights in 1883. He thought they were Apache campfires, but no camps were found. Sightings have continued ever since.

The Observation Point

The State of Texas maintains a viewing area on Highway 90 specifically for watching the Marfa Lights. Thousands visit annually. The lights appear irregularly but frequently enough to reward patient observers.

The Description

Witnesses describe glowing spheres of various colors: white, yellow, red, blue. They hover, dance, merge, and separate. They have been observed through binoculars and cameras. Their source has never been identified.

The Explanations

Proposed explanations include car headlights, atmospheric phenomena, geological effects, and ball lightning. None fully accounts for the lights’ behavior, particularly historical sightings before automobiles.

Assessment

The Marfa Lights remain genuinely unexplained. They have been observed by too many people over too long a period to dismiss. Whether natural phenomenon or something stranger, they continue to dance in the desert night.