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In the middle of nowhere -

Marfa is a small town in Texas. It has around 1,800 residents and a total area of 1.62 sq mi (4.22 km²).

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Remote location -

This small town is located in West Texas, also known as El Despoblado ("The Uninhabited"). The nearest major airport is 200 miles (321 km) away.

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Slogan -

Marfa is unique in many ways, and its slogan reflects that: "Tough to get to. Tougher to explain. But once you get here, you get it."

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Lone traffic light -

Marfa is such a small town that it has a single traffic light (pictured)!

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Local attraction -

Over the years, Marfa has attracted artists and a hipster crowd that transformed the place into a very quirky town. But Marfa is mostly famous for another reason: its mysterious lights.

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Marfa Lights -

For over 135 years, mysterious lights have appeared in the night sky. These moving glowing orbs remain unexplained to this day.

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Marfa Lights -

The Marfa Lights, also known as the Marfa Ghost Lights, are balls of light that pulsate and move in a random fashion, as if dancing in the night sky.

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When -

It’s not possible to predict when or where exactly the lights will appear. The phenomenon usually happens less than 30 times a year, after sunset or sunrise.

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Shape and movement -

The lights are usually round and can either move rapidly or hover as they pulsate and/or twinkle.

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Color -

The mysterious orbs do not have one set color. Red, blue, yellow, and white lights have been observed.

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Where -

The lights can be seen in the deserted prairie south-east of Marfa, known as the Paisano Pass, toward the Chinati Mountains.

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First sighting -

The first sighting dates back to 1883. The lights were spotted by a young cowhand named Robert Reed Ellison.

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Visitors -

Ever since the 19th century, people have flocked to the area to observe the phenomenon. Nowadays, visitors can stop at the roadside Marfa Lights Viewing Area and marvel at the ghost lights.

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Special fan -

In 1956, James Dean shot the movie ‘Giant’ in the area. The actor was reportedly obsessed with the lights, keeping a telescope in his hotel room to observe the phenomenon.

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Explanation -

Over the years, many theories have arisen, from UFOs to ghosts of Spanish conquistadors and car headlights, to name a few. But to this day, the mysterious lights remain unexplained.

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Quest for an answer -

Retired NASA aerospace engineer James Bunnell, who grew up in the area, spent 12 years trying to find an explanation for the phenomenon.

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Study -

Bunnell installed 10 wide-angle infrared cameras in the area and observed the footage trying to make sense of it all. He concluded that “no pattern emerged.”

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Conclusion -

The engineer wrote a book about the Marfa Lights and came up with a few theories, including one about how the Earth’s underground friction produces the electromagnetic lights. But he was unable to find a definite scientific answer for the mysterious phenomenon.

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Attraction -

Throughout the years, the Ghost Lights have been good for business. “For years, we didn’t have anyone here except the people who wanted to see the lights. I was afraid Marfa would turn out to be a ghost town, but this was very good because it helped to keep our town alive,” said local guide Armando Vasquez.

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Marfa Lights Festival -

Ever since its first edition in 1986, the Marfa Lights Festival has been attracting thousands of visitors every September.

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More than lights -

But there’s more to Marfa than its Ghost Lights. The desert town has been attracting artists ever since the early 1970s. Today, Marfa is a quirky mecca for creative people.

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Installation -

It all started in 1971 when minimalist artist Donald Judd relocated from New York City. Judd started an art revolution in Marfa, including these boxes, also known as Judd cubes.

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The Chinati Foundation -

Judd founded the Chinati Foundation, a contemporary art museum in Marfa that focuses on “works in which art and the surrounding land are inextricably linked.”

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Prada -

A great example is this surreal faux Prada Marfa boutique in the middle of nowhere.

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Target -

Or this tiny roadside Target, which is a pretty surreal sight in the middle of the desert.

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Wrong Store -

This gallery inside a former church is owned by local artists Camp Bosworth and Buck Johnston.

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Marfa Film Festival -

Marfa Film Festival was founded in 2007 by Robin Lambaria and Cory Van Dyke. The festival is currently on hiatus.

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The truth is out there -

Old-time resident Aurie West shared his thoughts: “My parents and grandparents saw [the lights]. It’s always been here. I hope they never find out about what’s out there. Mysteries make life interesting.”

Sources: (BBC)

See also: The hidden history of this Himalayan glacial lake

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