Jason Brooks

Marfa, Texas

N 30 16.497', W 103 52.970';

Elevation 4,955'

 

After arriving at the lodge, the staff rounded-up participants for a quick trip to the Marfa Mystery Lights Viewing Center. The Center is about 9 miles East of Marfa on Hwy 90 and is nearly in the center of what remains of the collapsed Paisano Volcano that erupted about 35 million years ago. There were 2 van loads of observers talking about their own experiences with Marfa lights from previous visits to the site. Observation of the lights seemed to be enough to convince onlookers that the lights were nothing short of miraculous. However, we did not see any of the famed lights on our outing this night.

We discussed possible causes for the mystery lights throughout the outing. They included swamp gas, reflected car lights from nearby highways, people with flashlights, and aliens. However, the most believable explanation is that of total internal reflection, which is the same phenomenon that causes rainbows and mirages. It occurs when light traveling from one medium into a less dense medium at an angle greater than the critical angle is refracted and bounced back into the first medium. However, officially, the Marfa Mystery Lights are still unexplained.

 

 

 

The Marfa excursion was very fun. We didn’t see the famed lights, but we had a great time looking for them. The sky was so dark that we were able to see more stars than many of us were accustomed to seeing. Looking up at the sky, we could point out planets, constellations, and even satellites as they zoomed through the night sky.

 

 

The Marfa experience was a good nightcap for a very long day’s worth of driving. We were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company while we spent some time bonding as a team of adventurers. Lights or no, the Marfa adventure added to west Texas experience by preparing us for our nights at the observatory and providing us with questions about the geology of the Chinatis and the Paisano Caldera.