Are you looking for new and exciting sights on your next ride? Don’t miss the Marfa Mystery Lights in West Texas.
As the name implies, these red, white, and blue basketball-sized orbs of light have a mysterious origin. While numerous stories attempt to explain these mysterious lights, scientists still have no solid explanation.
Curious to see the light show for yourself? Take a ride to the Marfa Lights Viewing Center and see which story you believe.
Where Are the Marfa Lights?
The Marfa Mystery Lights are in the town of Marfa, Texas, located on U.S. Highway 90, south of Interstate 10 and north of Big Bend National Park. The closest cities to Marfa, each 200 miles away, are El Paso and Midland.
The ghostly lights are off a stretch of Highway 90, where you can see the lights dancing on the horizon of the Chinati Mountains. Here, crowds of locals and visitors gather at night to try to catch a glimpse of the colorful bright orbs and contemplate their origin. Rather than staying in one place, they twinkle, move, and disappear again.
Stories and Theories About the Marfa Lights
As with any mysterious phenomenon, numerous theories exist about the Marfa Mystery Lights.
Some believe these mysterious balls of light are UFOs. Others refer to them as the “Marfa Ghost Lights,” claiming they are the spirits of dead Mexicans haunting this area that was once part of Mexico.
Others attribute the lights to a kind of mirage effect: atmospheric refraction created when a layer of warm air rests upon a layer of cooler air. Still others speculate that the effect may be from the gases that elsewhere create “swamp gas”: phosphine (PH3) and methane (CH4).
One other possible explanation for the Marfa Lights is that the igneous rock under Mitchell Flat may create a type of electricity under pressure, called a piezoelectric charge.
Scientific researchers from UT-Dallas studied the mysterious lights in 2004, attempting to explain their existence. Four years later, in 2008, Texas State followed suit. Both universities came up with the same scientific explanation: headlights from passing cars being refracted by gases and heat.
History of the Mysterious Lights
Accounts of the Marfa Mystery Lights date back to 1883. The first account of these lights came from Robert Reed Ellison, a cowhand. He initially thought the lights were from an Apache campfire, but he found no signs of people when he investigated the following morning.
Since that day, the mystery lights have intrigued curious people from around the country. If you want to try and spot the mysterious orbs, you can use the viewing platform. People say that the only way to see the lights is to stand on the platform and look straight toward the highway.
The official viewing area is nine miles east of Marfa along Highway 90. Since 2003, the viewing center has been hosting curious tourists intent on spotting the mysterious lights. The center also offers fixed binoculars, benches, and restrooms in case you want to stay out all night looking for the Marfa Mystery Lights.
The Marfa Lights Festival
Marfa was once a small, little-known town with very few tourists. Now, people from around the country come to see the lights and attend the Marfa Lights Festival each September.
This festival offers food, a parade, and live music, so even if you don’t see the lights, you can still be part of the mystery!
We’re Motorcycle Lawyers for Adventurous Riders
Take a break from the road and explore one of Texas’ unexplained mysteries! However, remember the importance of staying safe on the road. When you need to speak with a motorcycle lawyer, call Law Tigers at 1-888-863-7216 for a free consultation.
