Marfa Lights Solution

[Ugly1]

Could an answer to finding out more about phenomenon such as the Marfa lights could we not just set out several Waterproof HD GoPro cameras with gps attached to them so that they could be located and leave these at various places throughout the desert where the Marfa lights are located? I think this would be a very simple solution to things such as this mystery.

[Sakari]

That will only film them. That is/has been done.

More footage could not hurt.

[psyche101]

Hopefully Hessdalen might answer some of these questions.

[JimOberg]

The last thing the local CofC wants is a solution. Have you seen the snazzy visitor center on the highway? I stopped there once -- in daylight -- on my way back from Big Bend.

[bendigger0]

If we accept the conjecture that Marfa Lights are "earth lights" (a Piezo electric effect)... the question for me is, how do they maintain their form and position above ground?

[J. K.]

Hunting Marfa Lights by James Bunnell is a record of the author's excellent investigation into the phenomena. With the cooperation of local landowners, he set up a series of cameras for long-term observation. It's been a few years since I've read it, so I really don't remember a lot of details. The source of the lights still cannot be explained.

[AZDZ]

How about a IR camera/GPS locating equipped drone at the observation site, when a light is spotted the drone operator uses the onboard camera feed to fly the drone directly towards the light. A grid on the operator's screen helps keep the light location identified in case the light suddenly goes out. If it does go out the IR equipped drone could spot perpetrators scrambling for cover. The drone could be landed at the site and found at daybreak via the GPS. The area could be thoroughly scoured for signs of recent human activity. Best case scenarios either way, the light doesn't react to the drones approach and we get a close up view of one, or the perps. and/or their fakery methods are exposed.

Is there anything I've overlooked that would make such a mission too difficult or impossible to carry out?

[psyche101]

If we accept the conjecture that Marfa Lights are "earth lights" (a Piezo electric effect)... the question for me is, how do they maintain their form and position above ground?

Pretty much how I explained plasma density to you.

Have a look at the Hessdalen Project. LINK

[DONTEATUS]

ITs worth the trip to see the Entire area,THe Big-BEnd, The Observatory ,Eat Steaks At Reata !

[Rafterman]

Or you could just check with the group that has analyzed and subsequently explained the phenomenon - The Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas-Dallas.

http://www.spsnational.org/wormhole/utd_sps_report.pdf

Summary and Conclusions

All of the mystery lights observed by this group on the nights of 11 and 13 May 2005 can be reliably attributed to automobile headlights traveling along US 67 between Marfa and Presidio, TX.

If you don't want to read their detailed report, here's a bit of summary that Brian Dunning did for an episode of his Skeptoid podcast in 2007:

http://skeptoid.com/episodes/4038

Their official report, available at spsnational.org, found conclusively that when the lights appeared, they were precisely correlated with car headlights on Highway 67. The lights were completely predictable and the phenomenon was fully repeatable, based on cars on the highway. Quite a few photographs have been taken of the lights at night, which when superimposed upon a photograph from the same camera location during the day, show Highway 67 in the extreme distance, precisely in the same place as the light in the night photograph. The strange movement of the lights is attributed to the magnifying or shimmering effect caused by a so-called Fata Morgana mirage, a type of superior mirage, in comparison to the more common inferior mirage. Superior mirages, where objects appear higher than their actual position, can make distant objects — even those below the horizon — appear to hover in the air. Inferior mirages, where objects appear below their actual position, can make objects up in the air, such as a patch of sky, appear below the horizon, like the proverbial lake in the desert. Anytime the temperature gradients are suitable, the Marfa Lights should appear and behave predictably. Other independent investigations have also found the same correlation with cars on nearby Highway 90.

There are still critics who do not accept what the investigations have revealed, in some cases because of the stories of reports that predated the highways. These critics are reminded that there is no record of Marfa Lights reports before the appearance of automobiles in the area. And anyway, a lantern or other light would be affected in exactly the same way as the car headlights are today.

[MissJatti]

marfa lights???????

[sinewave]

Could an answer to finding out more about phenomenon such as the Marfa lights could we not just set out several Waterproof HD GoPro cameras with gps attached to them so that they could be located and leave these at various places throughout the desert where the Marfa lights are located? I think this would be a very simple solution to things such as this mystery.

The Hessdalen lights are a real natural phenomenon but I think the Marfa lights are a hoax. They happen on private land and the owner is not friendly about visitors. The lights drive the local economy and Marfa doesn't want anyone messing with that.

Edited March 27, 2014 by sinewave

[psyche101]

The Hessdalen lights are a real natural phenomenon but I think the Marfa lights are a hoax. They happen on private land and the owner is not friendly about visitors. The lights drive the local economy and Marfa doesn't want anyone messing with that.

I did not realise they were so localised, I just figured them to be another type of Min Min.

[DONTEATUS]

On any given summer night ,specially during spring BReak the area Kid`s all show up at the visitors center ,with there beer`s I may add,sit under the Newley constructed building complete with drinking fountain . I spent about three hours there last year Looking For E.T.`s Only saw a lizard !

[psyche101]

On any given summer night ,specially during spring BReak the area Kid`s all show up at the visitors center ,with there beer`s I may add,sit under the Newley constructed building complete with drinking fountain . I spent about three hours there last year Looking For E.T.`s Only saw a lizard !

[DONTEATUS]

You had to be there already too psyche101 ! Thats the Lizard in person ! the one on the left was chasing all the teenie-boppers !

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

A snip from:

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Marfa_lights

The 2004 Society of Physics Students investigation

In May 2004, a group from The Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas 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:^[5]

• U.S. Highway 67 is visible from the Marfa lights viewing location.
  
• The frequency of lights southwest of the view park correlates with the frequency of vehicle traffic on U.S. 67.
  
• The motion of the observed lights was in a straight line, corresponding to U.S. 67.
  
• 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.
  
• A car passing the parked vehicle appeared as one Marfa light passing another at the view park.
  

They came to the conclusion that all of 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.

And now this snip from Texas State Historical Society:

http://www.tshaonlin.../articles/lxm01

MARFA LIGHTS. The Marfa lights are visible every clear night between Marfa and Paisano Pass in northeastern Presidio County as one faces the Chinati Mountains. At times they appear colored as they twinkle in the distance. They move about, split apart, melt together, disappear, and reappear. Presidio County residents have watched the lights for over a hundred years. The first historical record of them recalls that in 1883 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 Apache Indians. He was told by other settlers that they often saw the lights, but when they investigated they found no ashes or other evidence of a campsite. Joe and Sally Humphreys, also early settlers, reported their first sighting of the lights in 1885. Cowboys herding cattle on the prairies noticed the lights and in the summer of 1919 rode over the mountains looking for the source, but found nothing.

-----------------------

Too bad the Texas State Historical Society didn't include the make and model of the cars they were driving in 1883. that would have been a hoot!

[DONTEATUS]

A snip from:

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Marfa_lights

The 2004 Society of Physics Students investigation

In May 2004, a group from The Society of Physics Students at the University of Texas at Dallas 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:^[5]

• U.S. Highway 67 is visible from the Marfa lights viewing location.
  
• The frequency of lights southwest of the view park correlates with the frequency of vehicle traffic on U.S. 67.
  
• The motion of the observed lights was in a straight line, corresponding to U.S. 67.
  
• 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.
  
• A car passing the parked vehicle appeared as one Marfa light passing another at the view park.
  

They came to the conclusion that all of 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.

And now this snip from Texas State Historical Society:

http://www.tshaonlin.../articles/lxm01

MARFA LIGHTS. The Marfa lights are visible every clear night between Marfa and Paisano Pass in northeastern Presidio County as one faces the Chinati Mountains. At times they appear colored as they twinkle in the distance. They move about, split apart, melt together, disappear, and reappear. Presidio County residents have watched the lights for over a hundred years. The first historical record of them recalls that in 1883 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 Apache Indians. He was told by other settlers that they often saw the lights, but when they investigated they found no ashes or other evidence of a campsite. Joe and Sally Humphreys, also early settlers, reported their first sighting of the lights in 1885. Cowboys herding cattle on the prairies noticed the lights and in the summer of 1919 rode over the mountains looking for the source, but found nothing.

-----------------------

Too bad the Texas State Historical Society didn't include the make and model of the cars they were driving in 1883. that would have been a hoot!

Even a Japanese research team came to Texas and spent a week studying the events with quite the equipment too ! Magnetometers I.R. you name it they had it ! But the results were Inconclusive ! Sad but True Indian Fans ! THe Real Americans Believed it was the Sprits !

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

This Marfa Lights phenomena could very well turn out to be something akin to the Aurora Borealis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora

Awesome light show!

But a real good explanation as to why these lights appear did not come until 1962 (see "leaky bucket theory", James Van Allen).

So who knows when?!

[Ugly1]

The last thing the local CofC wants is a solution. Have you seen the snazzy visitor center on the highway? I stopped there once -- in daylight -- on my way back from Big Bend.

No, I have not had a chance to see it. I did see a picture of it on google but never have experienced the grandeur in person.

[sinewave]

This Marfa Lights phenomena could very well turn out to be something akin to the Aurora Borealis.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora

Awesome light show!

But a real good explanation as to why these lights appear did not come until 1962 (see "leaky bucket theory", James Van Allen).

So who knows when?!

No, the conditions are not consistent with what is required for Auroras. If the Marfa Lights are a natural phenomenon (and that's a big if at this point), they are more consistent with the Hessdalen lights which are confirmed but not understood. I would tend to take the science done at Marfa more seriously than I would the anecdotes related by a local historical society. Not to diminish the importance of historical societies in general - I don't. I respect the study of history but it happens that unconfirmed and just plain false anecdotes are often included as fact.

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

No, the conditions are not consistent with what is required for Auroras.

I understand. I was only trying to draw an analogy.

It took much time to figure out the Auroras, and it may take time here, too.

I was not at all trying to say the Marfa lights were auroras.

If the Marfa Lights are a natural phenomenon (and that's a big if at this point), they are more consistent with the Hessdalen lights which are confirmed but not understood. I would tend to take the science done at Marfa more seriously than I would the anecdotes related by a local historical society. Not to diminish the importance of historical societies in general - I don't. I respect the study of history but it happens that unconfirmed and just plain false anecdotes are often included as fact.

So what you are saying is, there is no reliable way (for you) to determine when the lights were first sighted, unless of course, you agree that it was before there was any kind of auto traffic flow that would support the "head lights" theory.

[sinewave]

I understand. I was only trying to draw an analogy.

It took much time to figure out the Auroras, and it may take time here, too.

I was not at all trying to say the Marfa lights were auroras.

So what you are saying is, there is no reliable way (for you) to determine when the lights were first sighted, unless of course, you agree that it was before there was any kind of auto traffic flow that would support the "head lights" theory.

The scene at Marfa these days is all about the lights. The local chamber of commerce is riding that horse pretty hard. They even built a modern concrete observation pavilion on the edge of town. For the record, there was an army air field near where the pavilion is today. Oddly, there are no mentions of the lights by those who served there over the years. It is very likely just another local light like the Paulding light that is not really a mystery.

Edited April 6, 2014 by sinewave

[Earl.Of.Trumps]

The scene at Marfa these days is all about the lights. The local chamber of commerce is riding that horse pretty hard. They even built a modern concrete observation pavilion on the edge of town.

Sine,,, I understand the $$$ bias. But let's be fair here.

Just because profiteers could make $$$ at Stonehenge does not mean that Stonehenge is just a moneymaking gimmick.

For the record, there was an army air field near where the pavilion is today. Oddly, there are no mentions of the lights by those who served there over the years. It is very likely just another local light like the Paulding light that is not really a mystery.

Well, whether or not your Paulding-like light theory is correct, it's still a mystery. Someone say in here a Japanese team

came over to study it? Why would they do that if it was understood, just what the Marfa lights are?

In that sense, like the Auroras once were, Marfa lights' source is clearly not understood. Not unexplainable,

just not understood *at this time*. Meaning, it's a mystery.

[DONTEATUS]

Y`all ALL need to go to Marfa Tx, If you get a chance ! Great people out there, Lots of Open Sky to look at at night !

Mc Donald observatory Rocks ! Texas ,Tee-Bones to beat the Band !

Little clip for you Mid ! I miss you !