NUFORC Sighting 133096

Occurred: 2016-12-23 17:30 Local
Reported: 2017-03-13 00:08 Pacific
Duration: 2 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Tucson, AZ, USA

Shape: Formation
Characteristics: Lights on object

Ten large round solid, non-blinking, reddish-orange "orb-like" lights flying in formation over Tucson, AZ.

While a passenger in our car heading south in Tucson, Arizona, I glanced out the window and saw approximately ten large bright round reddish-orange lights flying in formation in the western sky. They formed two parallel but slightly “zigzag” rows: the first few lights forming a straight east to west line with the rest of the line continuing slightly farther back; the second row of lights created an identical row behind it, each light being equidistant from the one in front of and beside it.

The first thing I did was lower the car window to rule out reflections on the glass. I could make out no forms nor sound of aircraft and these lights were solid, not blinking as normally seen on aircraft. They were not individual lights on a larger craft as I could make out faint clouds in the sky behind and between them. I watched them move Northward across the sky until I couldn't careen my neck any farther out the car window to see them. They maintained the same formation the entire time, and did not “fade out” as flares would.

I waited to file a report until I had a chance to: 1) drive down the same stretch of road again, at the same time of day, to see if there were any extremely high light poles or radio towers, etc., that could have accounted for the lights and; 2) contact the local Air Force base to confirm whether they had conducted any drills, flare releases, or other such maneuvers that night.

The answer was no on both counts.

Posted 2017-03-17