What is the freaky glowing orange orb that's been spotted on Route 66 for more than a century?

[anon36271483]

@AlsoDiana

1945 - “It’s gonna-be refraction of automobile headlights”; Dr. George W. Ward
1946 - “We’ve surveyed with an airplane to find the road that lines up. We’ve used walkie-talkies to communicate between someone flashing headlights at the source road and viewers at the viewing location, using a transit and telescope. It’s definately headlights”; Maj. Thomas Sheard of Camp Crowder
1955 - eight unnamed teen science students: “We’ve measured temperature along the whole route, and the predicted diffraction would put lights from route 66 exactly at the height people see the spook light. When we set off fireworks or flashbulbs at the spot on route 66 our companions see them on spooklight road”
1960 - William Underwood" “By golly it turns out to be headlights on route 66!”
1965, Popular Mechanics & Prof. Jean Prideaux: “We’ve demonstrated that it’s headlights on Route 66”

It could be just a coincidence, but 1945 was the last time we saw Great-Uncle Tiberius take off in his orange hot-air balloon, a few months after he claimed he’d found the elixir of youth.

There have been sporadic reports since, so thank you for this update.

If anyone else spots this Relative Phenomena, please call 555-1965-5880.

Thanks again.