Phoenix lights facts for kids
The Phoenix Lights were a mysterious event that happened on March 13, 1997. People in Arizona and Nevada, in the United States, saw strange lights in the sky. Many thought these lights were UFOs, which are flying objects that people can't identify. Even the governor of Arizona, who is like the state's leader, said he thought they could be UFOs. The main thing people saw was a large, V-shaped object with five bright lights on its bottom.
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What Were the Phoenix Lights?
The Phoenix Lights were a series of lights seen by thousands of people. They appeared over a wide area, from the border of Nevada, through Arizona, and into the city of Phoenix. Many people described seeing a huge, silent object moving slowly across the night sky.
When Did They Happen?
The main event happened on the evening of March 13, 1997. The first sightings were reported around 6:55 PM in northern Arizona. The lights then moved south, reaching Phoenix around 8:15 PM. They were seen for several hours that night.
What Did People See?
Witnesses described two main types of sightings:
- V-shaped formation: Many people saw a large, V-shaped object. It had five bright lights along its bottom edge. They said it moved slowly and quietly. Some people thought it was as big as a football field.
- Stationary lights: Later in the evening, around 10:00 PM, a different set of lights appeared over the city of Phoenix. These lights seemed to stay in one place for a while before fading away.
Thousands of people, including families, police officers, and even pilots, reported seeing these lights.
What Did Officials Say?
At first, officials were not sure what caused the lights. Many people called local news stations and police departments.
- Governor Fife Symington: The governor of Arizona at the time, Fife Symington, was one of the witnesses. He later said he saw a "huge, V-shaped craft" that was "truly enormous." He thought it was not from Earth. However, he first made a joke about it to calm people down.
- Military Explanation: The United States Air Force later said the lights were flares dropped by military aircraft. They said these flares were part of a training exercise at a nearby air base.
Explanations and Theories
There are different ideas about what the Phoenix Lights really were.
Flare Explanations
The most common explanation from the authorities is that the lights were flares. These flares are very bright and are dropped from planes. They float down slowly using parachutes. Some people believe that the V-shape was just a trick of the eye. They think it was several separate flares seen from far away.
Other Ideas
Many people who saw the lights do not believe they were flares. They say the V-shaped object was too large and moved too smoothly to be flares. They also say it was silent, which is unusual for military aircraft. Some people still believe the lights were an unknown type of aircraft or even a UFO.
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