View source for Phoenix Lights

{{short description|1997 light phenomenon over Arizona, US}}
{{For|the Phoenix Asteroids|Dark Star (film)}}
[[Image:PhoenixLights1997model.jpg|thumb|225px|right|A drawing that appeared in ''[[USA Today]]'', June 18, 1997<ref name="USAToday">{{cite news |last=Price |first=Richard |date=1997-06-18 |title=Arizonans say the truth about UFOs is out there |url=http://www.ufosnw.com/history_of_ufo/phoenixlights1997/usatodayarticle06181997old.pdf |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=2008-03-14}}</ref>]]
{{Ufo}}

The '''Phoenix Lights''' (sometimes called the "'''Lights Over Phoenix'''") were a series of widely sighted [[unidentified flying objects]] observed in the skies over the [[Southwestern United States|southwestern]] [[U.S. state|U.S. states]] of [[Arizona]] and [[Nevada]] on March 13, 1997.<ref name="CNN19June1997">{{cite web|title=What were those lights in the Phoenix sky?|url=http://www.cnn.com/US/9706/19/ufo.lights/|website=cnn.com|access-date=2 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413133442/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9706/19/ufo.lights/|archive-date=13 April 2017|date=19 June 1997}}</ref>

Lights of varying descriptions were seen between 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm [[Mountain Time Zone|MST]], in a space of about 300 miles (480&nbsp;km), from the Nevada line, through [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], to the edge of [[Tucson, Arizona|Tucson]]. Some witnesses described seeing what appeared to be a huge [[carpenter's square]]-shaped UFO containing five spherical lights. There were two distinct events involved in the incident: a triangular formation of lights seen to pass over the state, and a series of stationary lights seen in the Phoenix area.<ref name="auto">{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna17761943 |title=Former Ariz. governor boosts UFO claims – Technology & science – Space |publisher=MSNBC |date=2007-03-23 |access-date=2011-03-23}}</ref><ref name="Symington"/>

Both sightings were due to aircraft participating in Operation Snowbird, a pilot training program operated in winter by the Air National Guard out of [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]] in Tucson, Arizona. The first light group was later identified as a formation of [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]] aircraft flying over Phoenix while returning to Davis-Monthan. The second group of lights were identified by [[Robert Sheaffer]] as illumination [[flare]]s dropped by another flight of A-10 aircraft that were on training exercises at the [[Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range|Barry Goldwater Range]] in southwest Arizona.<ref name="Sheaffer" /> [[Fife Symington]], governor of Arizona at the time, years later recounted witnessing the incident, describing it as "otherworldly."<ref name="auto"/><ref name="Symington">{{cite news|title=Symington: I saw a UFO in the Arizona sky Event|url=http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/11/09/simington.ufocommentary/index.html|access-date=2007-11-09 | work=CNN | date=2007-11-09}}</ref> 

Reports of similar lights arose in 2007 and 2008 and were attributed to military flares dropped by [[fighter aircraft]] at Luke Air Force Base,<ref name="ktar.com">{{cite news |title=Lights in the Sky Bring Back Memories of Phoenix Lights |url=http://www.ktar.com/?sid=369585&nid=6 |date=2007-02-07 |access-date=2010-05-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713173343/http://www.ktar.com/?sid=369585&nid=6 |archive-date=2011-07-13 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and flares attached to helium balloons released by a civilian, respectively.<ref name="civilian flare" />

==1997 reports==
On March 13, 1997, at 7:55 pm [[Mountain Standard Time|MST]], a witness in [[Henderson, Nevada]], reported seeing a large, V-shaped object traveling southeast. At 8:15 pm, an unidentified former police officer in [[Paulden, Arizona]], reported seeing a cluster of reddish-orange lights disappear over the southern horizon. Shortly afterward, there were reports of lights seen over the [[Prescott Valley, Arizona]]. Tim Ley and his wife Bobbi, his son Hal and his grandson Damien Turnidge first saw the lights when they were about {{convert|65|mile|km}} away from them.<ref name="auto1">{{cite book |last1=Prothero |first1=Donald R. |last2=Callahan |first2=Timothy D. |title=UFOs, Chemtrails, and Aliens: What Science Says |year=2017 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-02706-1 |page=35 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DI8uDwAAQBAJ |access-date=5 May 2021 |language=en}}</ref>

At first, the lights appeared to them as five separate and distinct lights in an arc shape, as if they were on top of a balloon, but they soon realized that the lights appeared to be moving towards them. Over the next ten or so minutes, the lights appeared to come closer, the distance between the lights increased, and they took on the shape of an upside-down V. Eventually when the lights appeared to be a couple of miles away, the family said they could make out a shape that looked like a 60-degree [[carpenter's square]], with the five lights set into it, with one at the front and two on each side.<ref name="auto1"/>

Soon, the object with the embedded lights appeared to be moving toward them, about {{convert|100|to|150|ft|m}} above them, traveling so slowly that it gave the appearance of a silent hovering object, which seemed to pass over their heads and went through a V opening in the peaks of the mountain range towards [[Piestewa Peak|Piestewa Peak Mountain]] and toward the direction of [[Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport]].<ref name="auto1"/> Actor [[Kurt Russell]], an amateur pilot, then reported seeing the lights to air traffic control.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nordine |first=Michael |date=2017-06-15 |title=Kurt Russell Reveals He Was the Pilot Who Reported the Phoenix Lights UFO Sighting – Watch |url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/kurt-russell-phoenix-lights-ufo-1201842807/ |access-date=2024-01-31 |website=IndieWire |language=en-US}}</ref>

Between 8:30 and 8:45 pm, witnesses in [[Glendale, Arizona|Glendale]], a suburb northwest of Phoenix, saw the light formation pass overhead at an altitude high enough to become obscured by the thin clouds. Amateur astronomer Mitch Stanley in [[Scottsdale, Arizona]], also observed the high altitude lights "flying in formation" through a telescope. According to Stanley, they were quite clearly individual airplanes.<ref name="auto1"/>

At approximately 10:00 that same evening, a large number of people in the Phoenix area reported seeing "a row of brilliant lights hovering in the sky, or slowly falling". A number of photographs and videos were taken, prompting author [[Robert Sheaffer]] to describe it as "perhaps the most widely witnessed UFO event in history".<ref name="Sheaffer">{{cite web |last1=Sheaffer |first1=Robert |title=The 'Phoenix Lights' Become an 'Incident' |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2016/11/the-phoenix-lights-become-an-incident/ |work=Skeptical Inquirer |date=8 November 2016|access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref>

===Explanations===
According to Sheaffer, what became known as "the Phoenix Lights" incident of 1997 "consists of two unrelated incidents, although both were the result of activities of the same organization: Operation Snowbird, a pilot training program operated in the winter by the [[Air National Guard]], out of [[Davis-Monthan Air Force Base]] in [[Tucson, Arizona]]."<ref name="Sheaffer" /> Tucson astronomer and retired Air Force pilot [[James McGaha]] said he also investigated the two separate sightings and traced them both to [[A-10 Thunderbolt II]] aircraft flying in formation at high altitude.<ref name="Beal" />

The first incident, often perceived as a large “flying triangle” by witnesses, began at approximately 8:00 pm, and was due to five A-10 jets from Operation Snowbird following an assigned air traffic corridor and flying under [[visual flight rules]]. [[Federal Aviation Administration]] (FAA) rules concerning private and commercial aircraft do not apply to military aircraft, so the A-10 formation displayed steady formation lights rather than blinking collision lights. The formation flew over Phoenix and on to Tucson, landing at Davis-Monthan AFB about 8:45 pm.<ref name="Sheaffer" />

The second incident, described as "a row of brilliant lights hovering in the sky, or slowly falling" began at approximately 10:00 pm, and was due to a flare drop exercise by different A-10 jets from the [[Maryland Air National Guard]], also operating out of Davis-Monthan AFB as part of from Operation Snowbird.<ref name="Sheaffer" /> The [[U.S. Air Force]] explained the exercise as utilizing slow-falling, long-burning LUU-2B/B illumination [[Flare (pyrotechnic)|flares]] dropped by a flight of four A-10 aircraft on a training exercise at the [[Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range]] in western [[Pima County, Arizona]]. The flares would have been visible in Phoenix and appeared to hover due to rising heat from the burning flares creating a "balloon" effect on their parachutes, which slowed the descent.<ref name="azcentral.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0225phxlights0225.html |author=Craven, Scott|title= 'Intrigue persists over lights in sky.' Arizona Republic |publisher=Azcentral.com |date=2007-02-25 |access-date=2011-03-23 |archive-date=2012-07-31 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731120420/http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0225phxlights0225.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> The lights then appeared to wink out as they fell behind the [[Sierra Estrella]] mountain range to the southwest of Phoenix.<ref name="SI">{{cite web |last1=McGaha |first1=James |last2=Nickell |first2=Joe |date=March 2015 |title=Alien Lights? At Phoenix, Stephenville, and Elsewhere: A Postmortem |url=https://skepticalinquirer.org/2015/03/alien-lights-at-phoenix-stephenville-and-elsewhere-a-postmortem/ |access-date=August 11, 2023 |website=skepticalinquirer.org |publisher=[[Skeptical Inquirer]] From: Volume 39, No. March 2 / April 2015}}</ref> The lights likely appeared to block out background stars because of their brightness, making it harder to see dim objects like stars in the areas they laid out.<ref name="SI" />

A Maryland ANG pilot, Lt. Col. Ed Jones, responding to a March 2007 media query, confirmed that he had flown one of the aircraft in the formation that dropped flares on the night in question.<ref name="azcentral.com"/> The squadron to which he belonged was at Davis-Monthan AFB on a training exercise at the time, and flew training [[sortie]]s to the Goldwater Air Force Range on the night in question, according to the Maryland ANG. A history of the Maryland ANG published in 2000 asserted that the squadron, the [[104th Fighter Squadron]], was responsible for the incident.<ref>Ball, Ronald ed. Maryland Air National Guard 1921–2000, 2000</ref> The first reports that members of the Maryland ANG were responsible for the incident were published in ''[[The Arizona Republic]]'' in July 1997.<ref>Ruelas, Richard. "Air Guard unit sheds light on Valley's UFOs." Arizona Republic. July 25, 1997.</ref>

Later comparisons with known military flare drops were reported on local television stations, showing similarities between the known military flare drops and the Phoenix Lights.<ref name="ktar.com"/> An analysis of the luminosity of LUU-2B/B illumination flares, the type which would have been in use by A-10 aircraft at the time, determined that the luminosity of such flares at a range of approximately {{convert|50|–|70|mile|km}} would fall well within the range of the lights viewed from Phoenix.<ref name="skeptic" />

===Photos and videos===
{{external media|video1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvKLeaPWPyw Video of Phoenix Lights]}}
During the Phoenix event, numerous still photographs and videotapes were made showing a series of lights appearing at a regular interval, remaining illuminated for several moments, and then going out. The images were later determined to be the result of mountains not visible by night that partially obstructed the view of aircraft flares from certain angles to create the illusion of an arc of lights appearing and disappearing one by one.<ref name="Hack">{{cite news |last=Ortega |first=Tony |date=1998-03-05 |title=The Hack and the Quack |publisher=[[Phoenix New Times]] |url=https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/the-hack-and-the-quack-6445593 |access-date=2008-03-15}}</ref><ref name="skeptic">{{Skeptoid | id= 4041| number= 41| title=The Alien Invasion of Phoenix, Arizona | date=April 26, 2007 | access-date=2011-03-23}}</ref>
{{UFO photographs}}

==Governor's response==
Shortly after the 1997 incident, Arizona Governor [[Fife Symington III]] held a [[press conference]], joking that "they found who was responsible" and revealing an aide dressed in an alien costume. Later, in 2007, Symington reportedly told a UFO investigator he'd had a personal close encounter with an alien spacecraft but remained silent "because he didn't want to panic the populace". According to Symington, "I'm a pilot and I know just about every machine that flies. It was bigger than anything that I've ever seen. It remains a great mystery. Other people saw it, responsible people... I don't know why people would ridicule it".<ref name="Beal">{{cite web |last1=Beal |first1=Tom |title=UFOs flew over Phoenix in '97, Symington says |url=https://tucson.com/news/state-and-regional/ufos-flew-over-phoenix-in-97-symington-says/article_9b90333a-4280-5288-9f4b-f1034df5d833.html |website=tucson.com |date=23 March 2007 |publisher=Arizona Daily Star |access-date=28 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jon |last=Shanks |title=National Ledger – Former Arizona Gov. Admits UFO Sighting On Night of Phoenix Lights |url=http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612175.shtml |date=March 18, 2007 |access-date=2007-03-19 |archive-date=2007-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070320204243/http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272612175.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Steve |last=Hammons |title=Former Arizona governor says he saw 'Phoenix Lights' UFO |url=http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=22360 |publisher=American Chronicle |date=March 18, 2007 |access-date=2007-03-19 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721004535/http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/22360 |archive-date=July 21, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last =Cooper |first =Anderson |author-link =Anderson Cooper |title=Anderson Cooper 360° Blog |publisher =CNN.com|date =March 21, 2007| url=http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/anderson.cooper.360/blog/2007/03/former-governor-says-he-saw-ufo.html
| access-date =2007-03-22}}</ref>

==Later reports==
Lights were reported by observers and recorded by the local [[Fox News]] television station on February 6, 2007.<ref name="ktar.com"/> According to military officials and the FAA, these were flares dropped by [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 "Fighting Falcon"]] aircraft training at [[Luke Air Force Base]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Amsterdam |first=Michael |url=http://www.nationalledger.com/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi?archive=9&num=11448 |title=Amsterdam, Michael. "Arizona UFO or Military Flares?" The National Ledger. Feb. 7, 2007 |publisher=Nationalledger.com |access-date=2011-03-23 |archive-date=2012-09-08 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120908211601/http://www.nationalledger.com/news-tech/arizona-ufo-or-military-flares-904830.shtml%23.UEu1f6jLdRw |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On April 21, 2008, lights were reported over Phoenix by local residents.<ref name="kozak">{{cite news |last=Kozak |first=Erin |date=2008-04-21 |title=Strange lights reported in north Valleysky |publisher=[[The Arizona Republic]] |url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0421abrk-strangelights0421.html |url-status=dead |access-date=2008-04-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080626135830/https://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0421abrk-strangelights0421.html?&wired |archive-date=2008-06-26}}</ref> These lights reportedly appeared to change from square to triangular formation over time. A valley resident reported that shortly after the lights appeared, three jets were seen heading west in the direction of the lights. An official from Luke AFB stated that there was no U.S. Air Force activity in the area.<ref name="kozak" /> The next day, a resident of Phoenix told a newspaper that the lights were nothing more than his neighbor releasing helium balloons with flares attached.<ref name="fowle">{{cite news |last=Fowle |first=Zach |date=2008-04-22 |title=Phoenix man: Neighbor caused Monday's mysterious lights |url=http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/04/22/20080422abrk-strangelights0422.html |publisher=[[The Arizona Republic]] |access-date=2008-04-26 |archive-date=2013-01-03 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103042501/http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2008/04/22/20080422abrk-strangelights0422.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was confirmed by a police helicopter.<ref name="fowle" /> The following day, a Phoenix resident, who declined to be identified in news reports, stated that he had attached flares to helium balloons and released them from his back yard.<ref name="civilian flare">{{cite news |title=Valley man admits to "lights in sky" hoax |url=http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/Phoenix_local_news_042108_new-lights-sightings.895be60f.html |date=2008-04-23 |access-date=2008-04-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080501103651/http://www.azfamily.com/news/homepagetopstory/stories/Phoenix_local_news_042108_new-lights-sightings.895be60f.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 2008-05-01}}</ref>

==Related films==
* ''The Phoenix Lights...We Are Not Alone Documentary'', Lynne D. Kitei, M.D., executive producer, in collaboration with Steve Lantz Productions. Based on the book, ''The Phoenix Lights...A Skeptic's Discovery That We Are Not Alone'' and featuring astronaut [[Edgar Mitchell]] and former Governor of Arizona [[Fife Symington]].<ref name=documentary>{{cite video|people=Steve Lantz (Director)|title=The Phoenix Lights Documentary|medium=Internet|location=Arizona|date=2005}}</ref>
* ''The Appearance of a Man'', directed by Daniel Pace<ref>{{cite web |author=Daniel Pace |date=1997-03-13 |title=TheAppearanceOfAMan.com |url=http://www.theappearanceofaman.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130725064319/http://www.theappearanceofaman.com/ |archive-date=2013-07-25 |access-date=2011-03-23 |publisher=TheAppearanceOfAMan.com}}</ref>
* ''[[Night Skies (2007 film)|Night Skies]]'', a horror movie starring [[Jason Connery]], [[A. J. Cook (actress)|A.J. Cook]], and [[Ashley Peldon]], features the lights.  It premiered [[direct-to-DVD]] in the U.S. on January 23, 2007.<ref name=nightskies>{{cite video|people=Roy Knyrim (Director)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460883/|title=Night Skies|date=23 January 2007}}</ref>
* ''They Came from Outer Space'' (previous title: ''Phoenix Lights The Movie''), a science-fiction thriller starring [[Ossie Beck]], [[Mackenzie Firgens]], [[Yvette Rachelle]], Matt Mercer, Terin Alba, Courtney Gains, Mark Arnold, Michael LeMelle, Aaron Mills, and Luke Amsden<ref name=p-l-t-m>{{cite video|people=Ajex McKenzie (Director)|title=They Came From Outer Space|medium=Internet|date= 21 May 2008}}</ref>
* ''[[The Phoenix Incident]]'', a science-fiction conspiracy horror film released in 2015
* ''[[Phoenix Forgotten]]'', a [[Found footage (film technique)|found footage]] science-fiction horror film released in 2017

==See also==
* [[Black project]]
* [[Black triangle (UFO)]]
* [[Hessdalen lights]]
* [[Marfa lights]]
* [[Tinley Park Lights]]
* [[List of UFO sightings]]
* [[Rhodes UFO photographs]], taken in Phoenix during the [[1947 flying disc craze]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web |url=http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=DA856BF0-E039-4A0B-8D5C-66BC5FF51E75&gsa=true |title=Are Arizona firefighters trained for UFO, alien contact? |last=Sign |first=Christopher |date=February 21, 2008 |publisher=[[KNXV-TV]] |access-date=March 13, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113111948/http://www.abc15.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=DA856BF0-E039-4A0B-8D5C-66BC5FF51E75&gsa=true |archive-date=November 13, 2008 |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |url=http://www.nuforc.org/phoenix.html |title=National UFO Reporting Center Special Report: Phoenix Lights – 2 Years Later |last=Davenport |first=Peter |date=March 13, 1997 |publisher=[[National UFO Reporting Center]] |access-date=January 29, 2009 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223114/http://www.nuforc.org/phoenix.html |url-status=dead }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090106024149/http://timespublications.com/nov06-feature1.asp Dickerson, John. "Unidentified"], Times Publications, November 2006
* Callahan, Tim. "The Phoenix Lights: The Fallibility of Human Perception and Memory" in Ballester-Olmos, V.J. and Heiden, Richard W. (Eds.), ''[https://www.academia.edu/101922617/The_Reliability_of_UFO_Witness_Testimony The Reliability of UFO Witness Testimony]''. UPIAR, Turin, Italy (2023), pp. 39-44. {{ISBN|979-12-81441-00-2}}

{{UFOs}}

[[Category:1997 in Arizona]]
[[Category:1997 in Nevada]]
[[Category:Black triangle UFOs]]
[[Category:Collective UFO sightings]]
[[Category:21st century in Phoenix, Arizona|Lights]]
[[Category:Events in Tucson, Arizona]]
[[Category:UFO sightings in the United States]]
[[Category:March 1997 in the United States]]