Well, I know I said last week that my spooky season series was done, but with many requests for one more, I said, why not? I couldn’t resist sharing just one more story for Halloween. And this one might be the strangest yet. It’s the tale of a place where the mysterious meets the unexplained — where eerie lights dance across the horizon, and science and folklore collide. I’m talking about the Marfa Lights.
In a remote stretch of West Texas desert near the small town of Marfa, strange, glowing orbs have illuminated the night sky for centuries.
According to local history, the first recorded sighting was in 1883, when a rancher named Robert Ellison noticed lights flickering in the distance, initially thinking they were Apache campfires. But as he traveled closer, the lights seemed to move farther away, as if intentionally evading him.
Interestingly, Native American tribes in the area, including the Apache, were aware of these lights long before settlers arrived, referring to them as “fallen stars” and interpreting them as celestial or supernatural phenomena.
The Marfa Lights, which appear as bright orange, red or blue orbs, have been seen shifting, darting, and splitting apart only to rejoin moments later. Some say they float, while others claim they hover above the ground, weaving in and out of view.
During World War II, the Marfa Lights caught the attention of pilots stationed at the nearby Midland Army Air Field. Intrigued, these pilots attempted to locate the source of the lights, thinking it might be a natural or man-made structure. Despite multiple attempts, they never found the origin. It was as though the lights were aware of the pilots’ presence, evading discovery every time they tried to pinpoint their source.
What causes these lights?
Some say they are cars from a nearby interstate, U.S. Route 67, but that doesn’t explain how they’ve been observed long before the automobile.
Some theories range from the scientific, like reflections or naturally occurring gases, to the supernatural, with legends suggesting they’re spirits or entities keeping watch over the land. But one thing’s for certain — the lights behave in ways that defy easy explanation, especially in encounters that seem almost personal.
Consider the story of a film crew that arrived in Marfa hoping to capture the lights on camera. After setting up equipment for hours, the crew finally spotted the lights flickering in the distance. But as they moved in, strange things began to happen. Cameras shut down inexplicably, and batteries drained without reason. Some crew members reported feeling as though the lights were watching them, reacting to their every movement.
No matter how they tried, they couldn’t get a clear shot — the lights would appear just out of reach, then disappear, only to reappear elsewhere. By the time they left, the crew was convinced that the Marfa Lights weren’t just a natural phenomenon, but something else — something almost … aware.
Another tale comes from a local rancher who encountered the lights late one night while driving home. As he traveled down the dark, empty road, he noticed glowing orbs trailing behind his truck. At first, he thought they were headlights, but the lights behaved strangely, veering off into the desert only to reappear closer to him, moving in sync with his truck. He described it as if the lights were “following” him, curious yet keeping their distance. Finally, as he neared home, the lights suddenly broke away and vanished into the mountains. Shaken, the rancher was left wondering — were the Marfa Lights watching him, guiding him or simply toying with him?
To this day, the Marfa Lights remain a mystery. Scientists have tried to pin them down as reflections, atmospheric gases, or mirages caused by temperature inversions. Yet no explanation fully accounts for their behavior, nor for the strange interactions people report. And the stories continue to pile up, from locals who’ve seen the lights their entire lives to travelers who stumble upon them unexpectedly.
As Halloween draws near, and we gather around to share tales of the unknown, remember that some mysteries are closer than we think. They flicker on the horizon, waiting to be seen — but not necessarily to be understood.
Happy Halloween, and may all your mysteries be as strange as the Marfa Lights.
Toby Moore is a columnist, star of the Emmy-nominated film “A Separate Peace,” and CEO of CubeStream Inc. He resides in Bourbonnais and can be reached through the Daily Journal at [email protected]
