Where's the Brown Mountain Lights?

Where's the Brown Mountain Lights?

Those of you who have have been following this blog are probably asking: "Where's the Brown Mountain Lights?"  It should be obvious by now that I'm having trouble finding them!  In fact, our research team has probably put in over 1,000 man-hours already this year---but we have yet to find any mystery lights.  We've seen 100's and 100's of lights, but they were all man-made electric lights as shown in the many photos posted on this blog. 

However, we do have dozens of intriguing eye witness reports of mystery lights observed by other people, and several members of our group report observing mystery lights in the past.  While we all have some ideas about what those lights might have been, we don't yet have any definitive evidence leading us in one direction or the other.  So the search goes on. 

We plan to continue photographing and documenting the man-made lights, conducting staged light tests, and keeping a close watch for anything mysterious.  If you have observations to share, we'd love to hear from you!  Just leave a comment on any blog post.

Our efforts also include camping, hiking, and biking on and around Brown Mountain and Linville Gorge.  And now that we have the BML Cam up and running, we hope to see and record even more lights, including natural, man-made, or otherwise! 

Stay tuned as the adventure continues!

Staged Light Tests Aug & Sep, 2012

Our industrious research group conducted several staged light tests this past summer.  These three images show hand-held DC flashlights on the western side of Brown Mountain as seen from the Highway 181 BMLs Overlook.  In all cases, radio contact was maintained between the hiker and the photographer.  Similar staged light tests were also conducted at Wiseman's View, Table Rock, Gingercake Mountain, and Hawksbill Mountain.

Light from a 520 Lumin, Hand-held DC LED Spotlight from 3.7 miles away

The light is located at a small prospect pit on Wildcat Knob Ridge; it is pointed directly at the camera

The red lights along the crest of Brown Mountain are Tower Lights in Catawba Valley

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera with 140 mm telephoto lens; 21 second exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 200

Light from a 520 Lumin, Hand-held DC LED Spotlight from 3.7 miles away

The light is located on FS Road 4099 near Wildcat Knob Ridge

The near-level crest of Brown Mountain can be seen on the right side of the image

Adams Mountain is the dark summit in the center of the image and it nearly obstructs Hibriten Mountain in the distance

The single white light above the skyline is a lighted tower atop Hibriten Mountain

The red light is a lighted tower in the Lenoir area

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera with 140 mm telephoto lens;  29 second exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 200

Light from a 135 Lumin, Hand-held DC LED Headlamp from 3.7 miles away

The light is located on Wildcat Knob Ridge

The Skyline Ridge is the near-level crest of Brown Mountain

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera with 350 mm telephoto lens;  11 second exposure at f/8 and ISO 1600

BML Cam Installed November 28, 2012

The BML Cam1 is up and running!

The Department of Physics & Astronomy at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC has just installed a full time camera aimed at Brown Mountain!  The purpose is to capture real time images of night time lights near Brown Mountain.  Hopefully the camera will soon be streaming live online.

Here's the first two images captured last night:

First BML Cam1 Image November 28, 2012

The large bright rayed light just above the eastern horizon is the full moon. 

Jupiter, which also rose near the moon, is obsecured by the glare from the moon

Note the bright verticle line and the triangular-shaped lens flares (lower right corner of the image)

Second BML Cam1 Image November 28, 2012

The moon has passed out of the field of view

The roof and patio of the house where the camera is mounted are seen in the foreground

Brown Mountain is located in the center of the images.  Both images show distant city lights in Catawba Valley.  The collective glow of Hickory's city lights can be seen in the center of the image.  A prominent bright spot of light on the horizon near the left side of both images is the recently lighted Christmas Star atop Hibriten Mountain near Lenoir (22 miles from the camera)---this light will remain stationary and provides a convienant landmark; at least until the city of Lenoir turns it off after the holidays.

Installation of the BML Cam1 November 28, 2012

The house is located on Jonas Ridge, Burke Co., NC

The satellite TV dish is not part of the BML Cam

BML Cam1 November 28, 2012

The camera is housed inside the metal box

The camera lens looks out through the dark glass-covered window



November 28, 2012 Photography

Yesterday was a perfect clear winter day for photography of Brown Mountain.  My observation site was Jonas Ridge, about 7 miles northwest of Brown Mountain.'

 Brown Mountain as seen from Jonas Ridge, Burke Co., NC

Brown Mountain is the nearly flat, gently south-slopping ridge in the center of the image

and immediately below the skyline.

Ripskin Ridge (and Highway NC 181) lies between Brown Mountain and the camera,

with the valley of Steels Creek in the foreground.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera with 18 mm lens at f/10, 1/250 sec, and ISO 100.

Prominent White Building Above Brown Mountain

The white building can be seen slightly to the right of the center of the image.  

Brown Mountain is the nearly level ridge line ending with a steep slope on the north end (left side of image).

Wildcat Knob is the high point on the indistinct ridge in the middle of the image.

Wildcat Knob is nearly aligned with the line-of-sight to the white building.

 Lael’s rock can be seen on the side of BM near the right edge of the image.

Ripskin Ridge is the closest ridge line at the bottom of the image.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera with 112 mm telephoto lens at f/8, 1/320 sec, and ISO 100.



Prominent White Building Above Brown Mountain

This is a digital enlargement of the image above.

The tree covered ridge line of Brown Mountain can be seen in the foreground of the image.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera with 420 mm telephoto lens at f/16, 1/1000 sec, and ISO 800.

 

Lenoir Water Tank

The white water tank is clearly visible near the left center edge of the image. 

Hibriten Mountain is the distant peak just below the skyline on the right side of the image.

Adams Mountain (with prominent rock outcrop) occupies the center of the image.

The lower north slope of Brown Mountain can be seen in the lower right corner of the image.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR camera with 420 mm telephoto lens at f/16, 1/1000 sec, and ISO 1000.

 

Hibriten Mountain Christmas Star November 26, 2012

 

The city of Lenoir, NC is helping with our

Brown Mountain Light research!! 

They just lighted a large Christmas Star atop Hibriten Mountain----and it's visible 20 miles away from the Highway 181 BMLs overlook!

 

 

 Hibriten Mountain as seen from the Highway 181 overlook (20 miles away!)

 

Hibriten Mountain is the high point on the distant skyline---notice the single white light atop the communication tower and the brighter orange light of the Christmas Star (this light was not visible in similar photos taken on November 9, 2012).

Adams Mountain (only 6.5 miles away) is the dark mountain in the foreground

directly in front of Hibriten Mountain.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR with a 420-mm telephoto lens and ten-second exposure at f/8 and ISO 800.

 

Hibriten Mountain as seen from Lenoir (1.9 miles away!)

 

Note the bright Christmas Star on the summit, the single white light atop the communication tower, and the short star trails in the sky above the mountain. 

Reflections of Lenoir city lights behind the camera illuminate the trees in the foreground.

Canon EOS Rebel DSLR with a 105-mm telephoto lens and twenty-second exposure at f/5.6 and ISO 800.

 

Catawba Valley City Lights November 26, 2012

 

Compare this image with the previous one taken on November 9, 2012---both taken from the Highway 181 BML overlook with the same camera and lens.  The photos were taken 17 days apart, but show the same lights in the same colors, positions, and patterns.  There has been no significant movement or changes in 95% of the lights---however close inspection of the two images does show a few changes, which probably relate to moving vehicle lights and/or flashing tower or advertising lights.

 

As in the November 9, 2012 photo, the isolated single white light above the skyline is a communication tower on High Peak, while the sloping row of close-spaced lights on the skyline ridge near the left edge of the image are house lights on Rocky Road south of Valdese.  From right to left, the city lights of east Morganton, Drexel and Valdese are visible.

 

Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR camera with a 420-mm telephoto lens and ten-second exposure at f/8 and ISO 800.

 



Catawba Valley City Lights November 9, 2012

Can these Lights be Confused with the Famous BMLs?

This is an image of some city lights in Catawba Valley, Burke County, NC.  Taken from the Highway 181 Brown Mountain Lights Overlook, approximately 16 miles northwest of Morganton.  Looking southeast (140 azimuth) over the top of Brown Mountain.  City lights include those of eastern Morganton, Drexel, and Valdese.

Selected individual lights are currently being identified by line-of-sight azimuth measurments, daytime and nighttime photography with teleophoto lenses (including a 1,900mm telescope), and follow up site visits for confirmation.

The single light above the skyline is a flashing white light atop a communication tower on High Peak (20 miles from camera, coordinates: 35.72280 N, 81.60810 W), 2.3 miles south of Drexel.

The six bright colored lights on the skyline (sloping line near left edge of image) are house lights on Rocky Road at 138.5-139.5 azimuth (21 miles from camera, coordinates: 35.71891 N, 81.58601 W), 2.0 miles southwest of Valdese.

Brown Mountain occupies the dark foreground while the South Mountains form the skyline ridges.

Image Info: Canon EOS Rebel T3i digital SLR camera with 420 mm telephoto lens, ISO 800, f/8, 20-second exposure, taken at 7:19 pm on 9Nov12 by Ed Speer.

In The Begining....

The Brown Mountain Lights BLOG covers current scientific research on Western North Carolina's famous Brown Mountain Lights (BMLs)---the mysterious nocturnal lights occasionally seen in the mountains of Burke County.  Specifically, I am a member of a collaborative team of diverse individuals who joined together in the spring of 2012 to investigate the mysterious BMLs.  Some of our team members have been investigating the BMLs for many years, some have personal sightings to share, one is a professional photographer, three are professional geologists, one is a university astronomer, one is an astronomical observatory engineer, one is a home schooling mom, one is an outdoor instructor, one is a trout club president, one is a graduate student, one is a university president, one is an information archivist, and one is a retired dentist and accomplished world-wide caver. We all are connected to the area and share an intense interest in the outdoors and in trying to understand these unusual lights.  With a strong focus on scientific research, our team is well suited for the task at hand. 

To date, our research has focused on the following activities:
1) Observation
2) Photography
          Still & Video (Daytime & Nighttime, Telephoto & Telescope Lenses)
          Real time photos on the Internet (planned)
3) Geologic investigations
4) Staged Light Tests (distant ATVs & Hand-Held Lights)
5) Surveying
          Measurement of Line-of-Sight Bearings of Individual Lights
          Plotting Bearings on US Geological Survey Topographic Maps
          Plotting Light Sources in GIS programs (Google Earth & GISKit)
6) Confirmation Visits & Photography of Suspected Light Locations
7) Documentation of Personal Sightings
8) Literature Research

Our progress and findings are the subject of this blog.  

Thanks for following and please feel free to post your comments---I'd love to hear about your sightings!  You may also contact me for more information.