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Marfa Lights Explained

billsoxs writes "The Marfa lights are ghostly lights that have been observed for years around Marfa TX (near Big Bend). They have been the subject of curiosity , a source of tourism and scientifically studied a number of times. Now a group of physics students from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) have use small lasers and traffic sensors to show that these lights are most likely headlights from cars on a distant highway. The publication is in the Society of Physics Students website. The PDF of the article is here. (Unfortunately the related video is no longer available on the web but more stuff is here.)"

15 of 183 comments (clear)

  1. BREAKING NEWS! by Ruff_ilb · · Score: 4, Funny

    Lights in distance probably headlights from far off cars! Populace of Marfa stunned! Physicists skeptical! Sensastionalists de-sensastionalized!

    I've never heard of these "Marfa Lights," but I can't help making fun of them out of context...

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  2. Video Link by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    1. Re:Video Link by flood6 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Moderated "interesting"... Every time a moderator mods a post before clicking a link, the Flying Spaghetti Monster kills a kitten...

  3. Is it just me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ...or am I the only one who originally misread it as "Mafia lights"?

  4. Sure... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    These lights are most likely headlights from cars on a distant highway

    Thats what they want you to think

  5. Re:Interesting, but ruining a source of revenue... by minus_273 · · Score: 2, Funny

    but but, it is a superstition. A dangerous cult. We live in the age of science. We must only believe in science and logic.

    --
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  6. I just think it's funny... by emptycorp · · Score: 2, Funny

    "and scientifically studied a number of times. Now a group of physics students from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) have use small lasers and traffic sensors to show that these lights are most likely headlights from cars on a distant highway."

    When leading scientists can't figure it out, leave it up to students.

  7. Re:Do you really need lasers? by TubeSteak · · Score: 4, Funny
    why haven't somebody just walked/drove in the direction of the lights?!
    They did....
    And were never heard from again.
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  8. Re:Weird... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    The headlights are obviously a DeLorean's.

  9. Re:This has been an urban legend here in Texas... by R-2-RO · · Score: 2, Funny

    Suckers! Blue Light Cemetery was K-Mart's failed attempt at selling cheap headstones. :)

    --
    Thank you. Drive through. (:wq)
  10. Re:Weird... by Pollardito · · Score: 2, Funny

    so now we've gone full circle from UFOs to Time Travel, rather than freeing us from our tin-foil hats we'll need to double their thickness

  11. Re:Interesting, but ruining a source of revenue... by gijoel · · Score: 3, Funny
    So, it's like an episode of Scooby-Doo basically, everyone knows the lights are cars but the local area has used it as sort of fun way of attracting tourists and they even have a festival around the event.


    "And we would have gotten away with it, if it weren't for those pesky kids!!!" says Mayor of Marfa.
  12. Re:Weird... by Spock+the+Baptist · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm almost certain that there was an explanation by a/an astronomy prof/s at UT Austin about how Marfa sat in the bottom of a basin, which set up some sort of thermal inversion which caused air of greater density to set on top of air of a lower density which in turn acted as acted as a lens to refract the light from bright stars, and or planets near the horizon into the basin giving rise to the Marfa lights.

    --
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  13. Simple by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Teens are using their cell phones as flashlights...

    Mystery solved. Move along...

  14. Re:This has been an urban legend here in Texas... by sillyman71 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I'm betting this strange luminecent phenomenon is more likely due to "blue smoke".