Within Phoenix Lights
Did military flares create the famous Phoenix Lights videos?
The most famous Phoenix Lights videos closely match military illumination flares dropped over the Barry M.
On this page
- How the 10 pm lights appeared over Phoenix
- Why flare behaviour matched the videos
- Why the military explanation arrived too late
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Introduction
On the night of 13 March 1997, Arizona experienced one of the most widely reported aerial phenomena in U.S. history — later dubbed the Phoenix Lights. What made the event especially enduring in UFO lore were two distinct sightings: an early cluster or V‑shaped formation of lights moving across the state, and a later line of lights seen from Phoenix around 10 pm that became the most widely filmed and discussed images. For the 10 pm lights, the strongest and most documented explanation involves military illumination flares dropped over the Barry M. Goldwater Range, a major training area south‑west of Phoenix. This explanation is widely accepted among sceptical researchers and official sources, even if some witnesses still dispute it. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
How the 10 pm Lights Appeared Over Phoenix
The lights that most people now associate with the Phoenix Lights phenomenon were reported around 10 pm MST by residents across the Phoenix metropolitan area. Witnesses described a row of bright, amber‑coloured points of light seemingly hovering in place in the sky before disappearing one by one. Because many of these lights were videotaped by amateurs, they became the iconic images linked to the incident. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
Unlike the earlier “V‑formation” reports seen hours before, these later lights did not appear to move in the same way or follow a clear path through the sky. Instead, they seemed to hold position, linger for several minutes, and then simply fade or vanish — characteristics that puzzled observers at the time. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
Why Flare Behaviour Matched the Videos
Within months of the event, Air Force sources and subsequent research pointed to a conventional and testable explanation: illumination flares dropped by A‑10 attack aircraft during a training exercise at the Barry M. Goldwater Range. These flares are designed to light up terrain at night and burn intensely while suspended from small parachutes, descending slowly through the air. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
Several key pieces of evidence support this match:
- Military confirmation: In later interviews, pilots from the Maryland Air National Guard confirmed that A‑10 aircraft were operating over the Barry M. Goldwater Range that evening and releasing LUU‑2B/B illumination flares as part of scheduled training activity. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
- Visual behaviour: The flares burn very brightly and descend slowly under parachute, appearing from a distance like fixed lights floating in the night sky. When seen from many miles away — such as from Phoenix toward the south‑west — the motion of the flares can be nearly imperceptible, creating the appearance of hovering or stationary lights. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
- Geometric effect of terrain: As the flares descended and drifted, the Sierra Estrella Mountains (south‑west of Phoenix) blocked portions of the view. From urban vantage points, each flare appeared to “wink out” as it dropped behind the ridgeline, reinforcing the impression of an orderly sequence of lights extinguishing one by one on cue. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
- Brightness and visibility: LUU‑2B/B illumination flares can burn with such intensity that they are visible from distances comparable to the roughly 50–70 miles from the Barry M. Goldwater Range to Phoenix. Skeptical investigations note that the luminosity and burn durations of these flares are consistent with what appears in the widely circulated video footage. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
Taken together, these features — deployment timing, aerial behaviour, descent characteristics, and line‑of‑sight geometry — align closely with the recorded 10 pm lights that became the central images of the Phoenix Lights event. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
Why the Military Explanation Arrived Too Late
Despite the strength of the military flare explanation for the 10 pm lights, it was not immediately communicated to the public following the March 1997 sightings, and the initial response from military authorities to press inquiries was ambiguous or lacking in detail. That delay helped fuel speculation and allowed various UFO narratives to gain traction before conventional explanations were widely reported. [UAP Investigations]uapinvestigations.comthe phoenix lights what thousands saw over arizona in 1997UAP InvestigationsThe Phoenix Lights: What Thousands Saw Over Arizona in 1997 -April 3, 2026…
Moreover, the flare explanation only addresses the later stationary lights — not the earlier reports of a large formation of lights over northern Arizona and Phoenix hours beforehand. Because the two sets of sightings happened on the same night and were later talked about as a single event, many witnesses did not differentiate between them, contributing to ongoing confusion about the role of flares. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
In the years since, sceptical analysts and local journalists have pointed out that the delay in official explanation, combined with the dramatic, widely shared video images, cemented the 10 pm lights in public memory as something mysterious, even though the underlying cause is well understood within military and aviation contexts. [Phoenix New Times]phoenixnewtimes.comthe phoenix lights are no mystery 6661825Phoenix New TimesThe 1997 "Phoenix Lights" are no mystery | Phoenix New TimesMarch 14, 2014…
Summary: What This Means in Arizona’s UFO History
Within the broader Phoenix Lights episode, the Barry Goldwater Range flare explanation stands as the most compelling and well‑supported explanation for the later 10 pm lights seen over Phoenix on 13 March 1997. It is grounded in documented military training activity, consistent physical behaviour, and video analysis that matches known illumination flares. [This Unexplained Universe]thisunexplaineduniverse.comphoenix lightsThis Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026…
That does not fully resolve all components of the Phoenix Lights — notably the earlier V‑shaped reports — but it does clarify a major strand of evidence that became central to why this event became so iconic. The gradual recognition of military flares as the source of the 10 pm lights has helped shift serious discussions about the incident toward evidence‑led interpretations and away from untested speculative narratives. [Project Unredacted]projectunredacted.comphoenix lights 1997Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted…
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Provides military aviation context useful when assessing flare explanations.
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Useful framework for evaluating flare versus anomaly interpretations.
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Endnotes
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Source: thisunexplaineduniverse.com
Title: phoenix lights
Link: https://www.thisunexplaineduniverse.com/articles/phoenix-lightsSource snippet
This Unexplained UniverseThe Phoenix Lights: What Did Thousands of People See in 1997? | This Unexplained UniverseFebruary 19, 2026...
Published: February 19, 2026
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Source: projectunredacted.com
Title: phoenix lights 1997
Link: https://www.projectunredacted.com/cases/phoenix-lights-1997Source snippet
Project UnredactedThe Phoenix Lights (1997) — UFO sighting Explained | Project Unredacted...
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Source: uapinvestigations.com
Title: the phoenix lights what thousands saw over arizona in 1997
Link: https://uapinvestigations.com/the-phoenix-lights-what-thousands-saw-over-arizona-in-1997/Source snippet
UAP InvestigationsThe Phoenix Lights: What Thousands Saw Over Arizona in 1997 -April 3, 2026...
Published: April 3, 2026
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Source: phoenixnewtimes.com
Title: the phoenix lights are no mystery 6661825
Link: https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts-culture/the-phoenix-lights-are-no-mystery-6661825/Source snippet
Phoenix New TimesThe 1997 "Phoenix Lights" are no mystery | Phoenix New TimesMarch 14, 2014...
Published: March 14, 2014
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Source: conspirafy.com
Title: phoenix lights 1997
Link: https://conspirafy.com/conspiracies/phoenix-lights-1997Source snippet
Sofia Reyes· May 12, 2026 Reviewed by:Dr. Elena Marsh· May 12, 2026 TL;DR Copy TLDR Thousands of Arizonans saw lights on 13 March 1997. T...
Published: May 12, 2026
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Source: slashlore.com
Title: phoenix lights
Link: https://www.slashlore.com/phoenix-lights/Source snippet
UFO: Eyewitness Stories from 1997 - SlashLoreJuly 29, 2025 — THE SKEPTICS AND ALTERNATIVE EXPLANATIONS While thousands of witnesses repor...
Published: July 29, 2025
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Source: national-paranormal-society.org
Title: Phoenix Lights
Link: https://national-paranormal-society.org/phoenix-lights-1997/Source snippet
"1997 - The National Paranormal SocietyJanuary 6, 2014 — Jan 06 PHOENIX LIGHTS - 1997 * By in Aliens and UFOs Courtesy of: [http://www.mufo..."](http://www.mufo...")...
Published: January 6, 2014
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Source: wikidisc.org
Title: Phoenix Lights
Link: https://www.wikidisc.org/wiki/Phoenix_LightsSource snippet
AIR FORCE EXPLANATION[EDIT | EDIT SOURCE] Months after the initial sightings, the U.S. Air Force provided an official explanation for at...
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Source: wikidisc.org
Title: Phoenix Lights 1997
Link: https://www.wikidisc.org/wiki/Phoenix_Lights_1997Source snippet
WikiDiscMarch 13, 1997 — * 4.2 Witness Rejection of Official Explanation * 4.3 Alternative Theories and Speculation * 4.4 Ongoing Debate...
Published: March 13, 1997
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Source: everything.explained.today
Link: https://everything.explained.today/Phoenix_Lights/Source snippet
Lights ExplainedPHOENIX LIGHTS EXPLAINED The Phoenix Lights (sometimes called the "Lights Over Phoenix") were a series of widely sighted...
Additional References
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Source: thecurious.city
Title: Thousands witnessed it. The Air Force said it was flares. Witnesses say that
Link: https://www.thecurious.city/phoenix/articles/phoenix-lightsSource snippet
The Phoenix Lights: What Thousands of People Saw - phoenix - The Curious CityDecember 8, 2025 — THE PHOENIX LIGHTS: WHAT THOUSANDS OF PEO...
Published: December 8, 2025
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Source: rense.com
Title: Pilot Debunks Phoenix Lights, Insists They Were Flares
Link: https://rense.com/general75/flares.htmSource snippet
March 1, 2007 — Pilot Debunks Phoenix Lights, Insists They Were Flares By Scott Craven Arizona Republic 3-1-7 On a mild springlike evenin...
Published: March 1, 2007
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Source: nowdeclassified.com
Title: history. An estimated 10,000 witnesses across Arizona
Link: https://www.nowdeclassified.com/guides/phoenix-lights-1997Source snippet
The Phoenix Lights 1997 — Full Archive Case File | Now DeclassifiedTHE PHOENIX LIGHTS 1997 — FULL ARCHIVE CASE FILE The Phoenix Lights of...
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Source: southcoastparanormaluk.com
Title: thephoenixlights investigatingthe1997ufophenomena
Link: https://www.southcoastparanormaluk.com/post/thephoenixlights-investigatingthe1997ufophenomenaSource snippet
Air Force, after several months of public speculation, eventually stated that the lights seen in the later part of the night, particularl...
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Source: ufoinsight.com
Title: Representatives from the air force base would i
Link: https://www.ufoinsight.com/a-case-study-the-1997-phoenix-lights/Source snippet
The 1997 Phoenix Lights Incident - UFO InsightSeptember 30, 2018 — Numerous pieces of video footage existed from the sighting, and many h...
Published: September 30, 2018
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Source: theblackvault.com
Title: the phoenix lights incident march 13th 1997
Link: https://www.theblackvault.com/documentarchive/the-phoenix-lights-incident-march-13th-1997/Source snippet
The Phoenix Lights Incident, March 13th, 1997 - The Black VaultMarch 3, 2015 — Phoenix Lights Mysteries THE PHOENIX LIGHTS INCIDENT, MARC...
Published: March 3, 2015
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juWMu3YLV5YSource snippet
Flares: dropped from Barry Goldwater AFB...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Flares: dropped from Barry Goldwater AFB
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWwgdyTimJwSource snippet
"Phoenix Lights" flares "Barry Goldwater" Flares over the Goldwater Range outside of Phoenix Arizona OpenMindsTV...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Unraveling the Phoenix Lights: UFOs or Military Flares?
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH_Upl-WTUUSource snippet
The Top Secret Military Aircraft Behind the Phoenix Lights Phenomenon | David Morehouse...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Flares over the Goldwater Range outside of Phoenix Arizona
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gzq1o38N0oSource snippet
The Secret Truth of the Phoenix Lights UFOs or Military Flares...
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