The Phoenix Lights

On the evening of March 13, 1997, thousands of people across Arizona witnessed a massive V-shaped formation of lights pass silently over the state. The Phoenix Lights incident became one of the most witnessed UFO events in history and remains unexplained.

The Sighting

Beginning around 7:30 PM, reports came in from across Arizona. Witnesses described a V-shaped or boomerang-shaped formation of lights moving slowly from the north. The object was enormous, with witnesses estimating it spanned anywhere from several hundred feet to over a mile in width.

Most remarkable was the silence. An object that size using conventional propulsion should have produced significant noise, but witnesses reported hearing nothing as it passed overhead.

The Witnesses

The witnesses included a former police officer, pilots, and Arizona Governor Fife Symington, who initially mocked the sightings but years later admitted he had seen the craft and believed it was extraterrestrial.

Thousands of people watched the lights pass over Phoenix. Many photographed and videotaped the event.

Official Explanation

The Air Force eventually claimed the lights were flares dropped during a training exercise at the Barry Goldwater Range. This explanation has been widely criticized as inadequate, as many witnesses reported the lights moving in formation before any flares were dropped.

Two Events

Some researchers believe there were two separate events that night: the V-shaped craft moving across the state earlier in the evening, and the flares dropped later. The military’s explanation may account for the second event but not the first.

Assessment

The Phoenix Lights remains one of the most significant mass UFO sightings in modern history. The number of witnesses, the size of the object, and the failure of official explanations have kept the case in the public eye for decades.