The Hessdalen Lights

The Hessdalen lights are unexplained luminous phenomena observed in Hessdalen Valley in rural Norway. Unlike many light anomalies, the Hessdalen lights have been the subject of serious scientific study for over forty years, yet they remain unexplained.

The Valley

Hessdalen is a small valley in central Norway, sparsely populated and surrounded by mountains. The lights were first reported in December 1981, when residents began seeing strange lights in the sky with increasing frequency.

Peak Activity

During the peak period from 1981 to 1984, lights were reported fifteen to twenty times per week. They appeared as bright spheres, often white or yellow, floating above the valley. Some moved slowly; others shot across the sky at tremendous speed.

Scientific Investigation

Project Hessdalen was established in 1983 to study the phenomena scientifically. Researchers installed cameras, magnetometers, spectrum analyzers, and radar equipment. The lights were successfully photographed and measured.

Analysis showed the lights produced no measurable heat yet were extremely bright. They appeared on radar but behaved unlike any known aircraft. Spectral analysis detected components not easily explained.

Current Research

An automated monitoring station continues to operate in the valley, capturing light events and transmitting data to researchers. The frequency of sightings has decreased since the 1980s but events still occur regularly.

Theories

Proposed explanations include piezoelectric effects from crystalline rocks under pressure, plasma phenomena created by radioactive radon gas, and ionization from scandium deposits in the surrounding mountains. None fully explains all the observed characteristics.

Assessment

The Hessdalen lights represent one of the best-documented unexplained light phenomena. Decades of scientific study have proven the lights are real but have not explained their cause.