On the night of March 13, 1997, thousands of people across Arizona and Nevada witnessed a series of widely reported unidentified flying objects (UFOs), an event that became known as the Phoenix Lights. The sightings spanned approximately 300 miles, from the Nevada state line, through Phoenix, and extending to the edge of Tucson.1 The incident involved two distinct types of phenomena: a large, silent, V-shaped formation of lights and later, brilliant, stationary lights, sparking decades of debate between official explanations and eyewitness accounts.2
The V-shaped Formation
Between approximately 7:30 PM and 8:45 PM MST, numerous witnesses, including then-Arizona Governor Fife Symington III and actor Kurt Russell, reported seeing a massive, silent, V-shaped formation of lights. Some described it as six to ten glowing orbs, while others detailed a huge, carpenter's square-shaped object with five spherical lights.3 Many observers noted that the object appeared to block out stars, suggesting a solid form. The sheer scale and silent movement of this formation left a profound impression on thousands of individuals, who described it as something "otherworldly" and "bigger than anything that I've ever seen."4
The Stationary Lights and Official Explanations
Later in the evening, around 10:00 PM, a separate series of brilliant, stationary, or slowly falling lights appeared over the Phoenix area. The U.S. Air Force and other skeptics attributed the V-shaped formation to A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft flying in formation, and the later stationary lights to LUU-2B/B illumination flares dropped by A-10 aircraft during training exercises at the Barry Goldwater Range.5 However, many eyewitnesses, including a commercial airline pilot, disputed the military's account, stating that the lights they saw were not flares and would not have been dropped over a populated area.6
Controversy and Legacy
A significant point of contention remains the timing: the military stated the flares were dropped later in the evening, but the most widely reported and impressive V-shaped sighting occurred earlier. Governor Symington, who initially made light of the situation, later confirmed he personally witnessed the event and described it as a profound mystery, stating, "I saw a massive, delta-shaped craft, silent, with lights that just kind of glowed."7 Despite official explanations, the Phoenix Lights remain one of the most famous and debated UFO incidents, with thousands of credible witnesses maintaining their belief that they saw something truly extraordinary and unexplained.8