Min Min light
English
[edit]
Etymology
[edit]Named after the small settlement of Min Min, located between the outback towns of Boulia and Winton, where the light was observed by a stockman in 1918.
Pronunciation
[edit]- Rhymes: -aɪt
Noun
[edit]Min Min light (plural Min Min lights)
- (Australia) An unexplained light reportedly appearing in the sky in remote parts of Australia, especially northwest Queensland, possibly caused by reflections of distant light in the dry air conditions.
- 2003, New Scientist, volume 180, numbers 2415-2428, page 71:
- Min-min lights are usually seen during the winter, for example, when cold-air inversions abound. This, and his artificial min-min, seemed to confirm the theory.
- 2006, Alexis Wright, Carpentaria, Giramondo, published 2012, page 340:
- Then, once a man was talking about his outdoor work, he got around to speaking about the mysteries of the min-min light and who saw it where.
- 2006, Marion Houldsworth, From Gulf to God Knows Where, footnote, page 127:
- Neuroscientist, Professor Jack Pettigrew, of the University of Queensland claims the Min Min lights are an inverted mirage of light sources hundreds of miles away, caused by a temperature inversion when cold dense air is trapped near the ground to be refracted so that it travels a curved path around the globe.
- 2010, Robyn Grady, Bargaining For Baby, unnumbered page:
- “You′ve heard of Min Min lights?” She grinned. “Sure.”
The strange appearance of those lights in the outback was legendary. […]
“Min Min lights were part of Aboriginal folklore long before modern day sightings made them famous,” Jack said.
- 2010, Craig Lewis, Cathy Savage, The Complete 4WD Guide, unnumbered page:
- Travellers camping out on the plains may witness a glowing light that seems to hover eerily across the vast landscape – the unexplained Min Min Lights that have been shrouded in mystery for over 100 years.