UFO Sightings in Arizona
Arizona UFO sightings: the Phoenix Lights of March 1997, V-formations over the desert, and what explains most reports in the state today.
Arizona’s place in UFO history was sealed on the evening of 13 March 1997, when a slow-moving V-formation of lights crossed the state and thousands watched it — including, as it turned out, the governor. The Phoenix Lights are still the most-witnessed mass sighting in modern American history.
The state’s dark desert skies, its military ranges and its winter population of skywatchers keep the reports coming. Most today resolve to satellites, aircraft and the flares that explained part of 1997’s show.
What gets reported here
- V-formations of lights moving slowly across the desert — the report shape Phoenix made famous.
- Flares over the Barry M. Goldwater Range in the southwest, visible from Phoenix and Tucson on training nights.
- Orange orbs at dusk, drifting with the wind: sky lanterns and, occasionally, Chinese lanterns released at resort events.
- ISS and satellite passes, exceptionally clear from the Sonoran Desert.
Notable incidents
The Phoenix Lights (1997)
A V-formation of lights crossed Nevada, Arizona and Sonora between about 19:30 and 22:30 local time, watched by thousands. Flares dropped by Maryland Air National Guard A-10s explain the later lights; the earlier formation remains disputed.
Questions
Have the Phoenix Lights been explained?
Partly. The second group of lights, seen around 22:00, was flares dropped by A-10s training over the Goldwater Range, confirmed by the Air National Guard. The earlier slow-moving formation, seen from across the state at 19:30, has no official explanation; a formation of aircraft is the usual proposed one.
Where is the best place to watch the sky in Arizona?
Away from Phoenix and Tucson: the Sonoran Desert, Sedona’s outskirts, the north rim of the Grand Canyon and the Organ Pipe area all have dark skies. The state parks run regular star parties.
Check what was in your sky · All places · How to report a UFO