The mysterious Min Min light

Marion Downs-Camp – 07.09.2002

Before we start our work, we want to rest for a few days. Leanne and Robert also invite us for breakfast and lunch. “Feel at home. Whenever you feel hungry, just come to the kitchen and help yourself to whatever you fancy. Please don’t be shy. Here’s the cold store,” says Leanne, opening the door and pointing to ice cream, cakes, fresh fruit, fresh salad and much more.

As today is Saturday and Robert has been working non-stop for the last three weeks, he has decided to take this weekend off. That’s why we talk almost non-stop until the sun goes down.

It has been dark for some time when we come across another very interesting topic. “Have you ever heard of the Min Min light?” Leanne asks. “Yes, a mate of ours once told us about it. His parents owned a sheep farm somewhere in Queensland. He and his father worked hard all day and into the night. Suddenly they noticed a light. It looked like a ball of light flying back and forth at a distance of maybe a kilometer, just above the ground. He said that in the direction the light appeared, there was nothing but bushland. There was no human civilization, no roads or paths. It was absolutely clear that this light phenomenon could not be associated with humans, but they still watched the ball of light flying back and forth. After a while, it raced close to them until they thought they were being chased by it. In the end, they got scared and drove home head over heels,” I tell the short story.

“Do you know that you are here in the center of the Min Min Light?” “No, I didn’t know,” I reply, my curiosity piqued. “Have you ever seen one before?” “Yes, I was once followed by one. Robert doesn’t believe my story, but it was undoubtedly a light that followed me. At first I thought it was a UFO but it could well have been a Min Min. I was on my way home when I suddenly saw the light next to me. I was surprised because there was no road next to me. Then I stopped to let the strange off-road vehicle drive past. It could only be an off-road vehicle speeding through the bush in the middle of the night. When I stopped, the light stopped too. My God, I must have gotten a fright.” “What did you do then?” I ask her to continue. “I stepped on the gas. I broke across the road like a racing driver. The light was suddenly chasing me. No matter how fast I was going, it was always there. It was right behind my car. It was there for a long time until it suddenly disappeared. I told Robert about it, but he didn’t believe me. The next day I read in the newspaper that several people in the same area had also seen the light. One man reported that the large round ball of light was above his house for a long time.”

“That’s an exciting story. Have you ever seen a Min Min light here on the ward?” “Yes, there’s one just behind your house. A friend has watched it from the terrace almost every night. It glows in different colors and then suddenly disappears. If you feel like it, we can walk over there. Maybe it’s back again,’ says Robert. “Oh yes, I’d love to,” we reply.

A sparkling, bright light, to the east of our house, shines over the horizon. “There it is. We don’t know if it’s really a Min Min light, but it looks very strange. Look how it changes color,” he says. We watch spellbound as it changes from white to yellowish and then flashes into an unconventional blue. “I don’t know, somehow the light looks familiar. I’m sure it’s not a star, but I’ve seen it in the same place for weeks,” I say. “What’s it going to be?” Leanne asks. “I don’t know,” I reply, pondering, until I’m sure that it’s the American, Russian space station we see there.

Dean from Huckitta Station drew my attention to this star. He told me about the space station and how its bright, almost glistening light made it clearly distinguishable from all the stars. “As the space station approaches the horizon due to the Earth’s rotation and is about to set, the reflecting sunlight is thrown onto the Earth’s surface at different angles. The layers of dust and our atmosphere make the light reflections glow in different colors,” he explained to me.

“He’s probably right. It’s too regular for a min min,” says Robert. We stand still for quite a while. It gets closer and closer to the night horizon line until it suddenly disappears at 21:42.

“Do you want to go to Boulia tomorrow? We have a mini center there. It’s well done and definitely interesting,” our hosts ask us. “Gladly,” we reply and look forward to a trip to the nearby town after the long period of solitude.