Marfa+Lights

 Aimee Buchanan Mrs.Crawford Connections#3 __Marfa Lights Essay__

A small, basketball sized light floats in the desert haze. You are right outside Marfa, Texas. Everything is quiet. Is it a car? A train? A glowing jackrabbit? No. You just saw a famous Marfa Light. Over the centuries, these lights have been floating around Marfa, Texas. When you see one, it will have a red, orange yellow or white glow to it, or if you are lucky you may see a blue or green one. Marfa lights have been around for a while, but the first time their existence was announced publicly wasn't until mid 50's.The past holds many secrets. There are many unsolved historical mysteries that continue to interest people today. This paper will attempt to solve the mystery of the Marfa Lights by examining new and old evidence and resources.

The famous Marfa Lights can be spotted on a big plain, sometimes referred to as Mitchell Flat. The town of Marfa has even put in a viewing center, where you’ll find hopeful pairs of eyes every night. The lights have been around for centuries. However, the first sighting to be reported was in 1883 by a local named Robert Ellison. Ellison didn’t report the sighting to any major authorities, but did tell his family. The natives to the land, the Apache Indians, have a number of legands starring the lights. They believed that the lights were angels, guiding fallen warriors home. 'The first published account of the lights was written in 1957, and this article is the sole source for anecdotal claims that the lights date back to the 1800s .' (wikipedia)No one knows what they really are, but one thing’s for sure, the do exist. You’ll know one when you see one.

We, as a human race, have found something. Something called the Marfa Lights, and for once in our modern day lives, we can’t scientifically explain something. So what if we’ve found a brand new phenomenon? Scientists are asking them selves right now. A positive theory is that the lights are just simply a brand new scientific discovery. "The only thing certain about the Marfa Lights is that nothing is certain." (Paul)

There are many theories to what these ghost lights are. Besides the legends, the lights have many theories-and all of them have some type of flaw. Scientists have been driving them selves mad, camping out in the desert, taking samples. People who have never seen them usually just assume that they are just the headlights of cars from nearby highway 67, but the lights have been around for over a hundred years. Some people think that the lights are jackrabbits with glow worms clinging on to their fur, but how do you explain why most of the sightings are in the air? A common theory is that the moon reflects off of large veins of mica, but the lights have been spotted on cloudy, moonless lights. Plus, there is no mica in the area. Another theory is that the lights are swamp gas, the vapors from rotting vegetation that occasionally burst into flames. But there aren’t any swampy areas on the plain.

The past holds many secrets. There are many unsolved historical mysteries that continue to interest people today. This paper will attempt to solve the mystery of the Marfa Lights by examining new and old evidence and resources. After long hours of research, and examination, I have come to believe that the ligts are a brand new thing. Just like Ben Franklin discovered electricity, Robert Ellison and the good people of Marfa and all the other places were these ghost lights have spotted, discovered ghost lights. Over the centuries, these lights have been floating around Marfa, Texas. When you see one, it will have a red, orange yellow or white glow to it, or if you are lucky you may see a blue or green one. Thank you for taking the time to read my essay!!!