The Min Min Lights
In the Australian outback, a light appears at night and seems to follow travellers, keeping its distance however fast they go.
What was reported
In the remote Channel Country of western Queensland, people have long told of a light that appears after dark, hovering above the horizon. It can seem to follow travellers, approaching and retreating, and to vanish when someone gets close. It is named after the old Min Min hotel near Boulia.
Aboriginal traditions in the region include stories of similar lights. Accounts from stockmen and travellers go back to the 19th century.
Explanations offered
In 2003, neuroscientist Jack Pettigrew suggested the lights are a kind of mirage called a Fata Morgana: on cold nights, layers of air can bend light from distant sources, such as car headlights or campfires far beyond the horizon, and make it appear to hover nearby. He produced a similar effect himself. Not everyone accepts that this explains every sighting.
- When
- Reported since the 1800s
- Where
- Boulia, Channel Country, Queensland, Australia
- Witnesses
- Stockmen, travellers and locals
- Status
- Disputed
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.