Brown Mountain Lights draws new interest

[newyorklily]

North Carolina's Brown Mountain Lights continues to draw new viewers to the site. Even a professor in the physics and astronomy department at Appalachian State University, hopes to set up a live camera feed to his web site for all to watch the lights.



The Brown Mountain Lights have drawn serious scientific interest since the 1920s, when the U.S. Geological Survey issued a report concluding the lights were reflections from automobiles (http://www.theoutpostforum.com/tof/#), trains and brush fires.
Daniel Caton, a professor in the physics and astronomy department at Appalachian State University, thinks that's part of the explanation for what people have reported seeing over the years. But Caton thinks there's more to the lights, at least in some cases.

Caton hopes to eventually set up cameras at viewing sites that will feed to his website, allowing anyone to watch for the lights at any time. While he's skeptical, Caton still thinks there are eyewitness reports worth checking.

Read more here http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20120227/NEWS01/202270316/Mysterious-orange-orbs-confound-NC-observers

[Doc]

I remember seeing this on "one of those shows" a few years back and the explanation sounded like a bunch of armchair debunking. Some real study of the phenomenon would be welcome.

[Marvin]

Some of my favorites:



Marfa Lights (Marfa, TX)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I75gNMGbP1w



And the Hornet Spook Light (Hornet, MO, just south of Joplin, MO)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qynmYUMzDOU



Both have been heavily investigated.

M

[newyorklily]

Thanks for those videos, Marvin.

I've heard of the Marfa Lights. My uncle lived in Texas for many years and I think he might have seen them. This is the first time I've heard of the Hornet Ghost Lights. I wonder how many other places these lights show up and no one reports them.

[Marvin]

Thanks for those videos, Marvin.

I've heard of the Marfa Lights. My uncle lived in Texas for many years and I think he might have seen them. This is the first time I've heard of the Hornet Ghost Lights. I wonder how many other places these lights show up and no one reports them.


Actually, the Hornet Spook light is fairly well known:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spooklight



http://popshifter.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/spook1.jpg




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkB1Ram5OhM


M

[Lee]

I hadn't heard of the Hornet Spook light either. The video above is quite impressive, it could have been even more so if the cameraman would've jumped in his car and driven up to the lights for a closer look.

[Marvin]

Lee,

From the people I have spoke with, as you chase the lights, they have a tendency to "wink" out. The very few who have gotten close to the lights, report "plasma" like effects, such as splitting in to two. I cannot help but wonder if these are lights connected to an unknown seismic mechanism like earthquake lights:

http://geology.about.com/od/earthquakes/a/EQlights.htm


M

[southerncross]

Have to agree there Marvin. Here in Texas the Marfa Lights are very popular to watch and many geologists and physicists have set up their own little observatories to record and measure the lights in terms of activity and spectrum and such. One family reported being 'chased' down a highway by one and it did indeed have this plasma like characteristic. As they dance about the landscape it makes you wonder if a fault line or crystaline geology is somehow involved.
They are a wonderful mystery though.

[newyorklily]

To me, if a ball of light is chasing someone or something (such as a car), that indicates that that ball of light is a sentient being. It shows that it has knowledge of its surroundings and a purpose (if only to scare and case away the onlookers).

[Lee]

Some kind of plasma produced by fault lines does seem like a logical explanation, especially when the lights are consistently showing up in the same area. Although, from what I understand, the theorized 'earth quake lights' are likely to be very short lived events. I was under the impression that some of these lights have been witnessed for long periods of time and even seem to show signs of intelligent control. (As Lily points out above.)

As an example, plasma-like balls of light of various colours were seen at the Skinwalker ranch, and these clearly demonstrated an intelligence. They were reported to fly very low and close to the cattle, as if playing with them. They also seemed to illicit a very strong emotional reaction from witnesses on a couple of occasions and even reportedly killed three of the family dogs. Structured craft were also reported in association with balls of light at the Skinwalker Ranch.

I remain open to a natural explanation, especially in cases like Marfa, Brown Mountain and Hessdalen, but events like those at the Skinwalker Ranch make me wonder if a more exotic explanation is required. It just goes to show that ultimately 'UFOs' may represent several different types of phenomena.