Texas Wants to Know: What’s Behind the Marfa Lights?

If you’re from Texas, chances are you’ve heard of the Marfa lights. Some say that this phenomenon can be explained, some consider it supernatural, while others are content with considering it a mystery.

“There are at least two types of Marfa fixtures,” said Texas State Engineering Professor Dr. Carl Stefan. “The first type is what you can see almost every night. If you go out to Martha’s Lights, looking south and waiting for sunset, you’ll find these strange little yellowish white lights that move very slowly, if at all, and flicker a little.”

Stefan said that over several months of nighttime observations, he determined that the “first sight” could be attributed to car headlights about two dozen miles from the Marfa Lights lookout.

But what about the other kind?

“You can’t prove a negative result in terms of supernatural phenomena,” he said. “So, you know, I can’t tell them they’re completely wrong. But that’s not the most likely explanation I’m looking for. There are other theories about combustible gases that are released and ignite from time to time. these things don’t act like flames.”

Some of the other theories revolve around dead spirits.

“It’s like the Mexican folklore version that they’re actually shapeshifting witches, and it’s actually kind of related to another kind of folklore legend, if you like, where people say owls are shapeshifting witches, and that’s how they keep their shape. you’re being watched,” said Hector Montemayor-Perez, director of news at Big Bend Radio in Alpine, Texas.

Whatever the reason for the lights, one thing that is non-negotiable is that they attract tourists to a West Texas city of less than 2,000 people.

“We’ve seen cities that have changed dramatically, for better or worse, in other parts of Texas,” said Abby Boyd, president of the Marfa Chamber of Commerce. “And the same thing could happen to Martha, so we’re trying to be really honest about what’s going on here and trying to make sure the changes that’s happening are about us in the conversation.”

Boyd is one of many who share the view that the cause of Martha’s lights is best left a secret.

“I’m the kind of person who’s comfortable with not knowing things and just accepting them for what they are,” said Kelsey Picolo, who moved to Marathon, Texas from Biloxi, Mississippi. “But I mean, you can probably go on Reddit and read for hours about theories and things like that if you’re into it. But I just think they’re pretty cool.”

Listen to the new episode of Texas Wants to Know on the Audacy app or wherever you listen to podcasts.