Making History Come Alive Newsletter Offers The Phoenix Lights phenomenon a series of widely reported sightings of unexplained lights over the city of Phoenix, Arizona,

This event ( March 13,1997) remains one of the most famous UFO sightings in history, garnering attention from both the public and the media. The phenomenon can be broken down into several key components, including the sightings themselves, eyewitness accounts, government responses, and ongoing theories and explanations.

1. The Sightings
- Description of the Lights: Witnesses reported seeing a series of lights arranged in a V-formation or a straight line. The lights were described as being bright, white, or yellowish, moving silently across the sky. Some witnesses noted a large, dark mass obscuring stars in the background, suggesting a solid object rather than merely lights.
- Geographic Spread: The sightings were reported not only in Phoenix but also in several other locations across the state of Arizona and into Nevada. This wide geographic area contributed to the phenomenon's notoriety.

2. Eyewitness Accounts
- Diverse Witnesses: The witnesses included a wide variety of individuals, such as police officers, military personnel, and ordinary citizens. Their accounts ranged from seeing the lights as a group to witnessing them independently.
- Public Response: Many people took to the media to share their experiences. In total, thousands of individuals reported seeing the lights, and local news outlets covered the phenomenon extensively, prompting even more sightings.

3. Government Response
- Initial Reaction: Initially, the U.S. military did not comment on the sightings. However, as the media attention grew, they later issued statements attributing some of the lights to military flares dropped during training exercises at the Barry Goldwater Range, southwest of Phoenix.
- Criticism of Explanation: Critics and many witnesses disputed the military's explanation, arguing that the flares did not match the characteristics of the lights seen that night, particularly in terms of their formation and movement.

4. Ongoing Theories and Explanations
- UFO Theories: The Phoenix Lights phenomenon has become a cornerstone of UFO folklore, leading to many theories suggesting extraterrestrial involvement. This has been fueled by the lack of a definitive explanation and the sheer number of witnesses.
- Natural and Man-made Explanations: Some skeptics argue that the lights could have been attributed to various natural phenomena or man-made objects