The Phoenix Lights

The claim

"A mile-wide V-shaped craft flew silently over Phoenix in front of thousands."

Where the idea comes from

Thousands of people in Arizona reported lights on 13 March 1997; the governor later said he had seen something unexplained.

What the evidence shows

1. There were two separate events. The stationary lights around 10 pm were LUU-2 illumination flares dropped by A-10 aircraft during Operation Snowbird; the Air National Guard confirmed it, and video shows them winking out behind mountains.
2. The earlier moving V of lights (around 8 pm) matches aircraft flying in formation; an amateur astronomer watching through a telescope saw planes.
3. Witness descriptions of a "solid" craft between the lights are common when people see lights in formation against a dark sky.

What is still open

Some witnesses remain convinced they saw a single solid object. No radar data of a large craft has been released.

Our verdict

Explained Military flares and a formation of planes.

Sources

• Phoenix Lights (Wikipedia)

Checked 31 October 2026. Spotted a newer source? Tell us.