Stories from the edge of explanation.
About 3 min readTravellers crossing a marsh at night have reported it for centuries: a pale flame that dances ahead, retreats when followed, and vanishes when approached. Folklore called it a spirit. Chemistry calls it marsh gas.
About 4 min readFor more than a century, people have reported glowing orbs drifting over Brown Mountain in western North Carolina. The U.S. Geological Survey investigated twice and blamed headlights and fires. Most of the lights are explained — but a small residue, caught on camera, still is not.