The famous Marfa Lights have inspired plenty of theories, from unusual electrical activity to aliens. It is a convincing answer to a mystery that has become part of West Texas folklore, except for one stubborn detail. Scientists Went Looking For The Lights And Found CarsIn 2004, a group of students from the University of Texas at Dallas headed into West Texas to find out what was actually happening. When the team flashed car lights from the highway, people at the observation point roughly two miles away could see corresponding lights in the distance. But A Story From 1883 Refuses To Go AwayThe legend of the Marfa Lights supposedly begins decades before motorists were crossing West Texas.