NUFORC Sighting 37624

Occurred: 2004-06-15 21:30 Local
Reported: 2004-06-16 10:50 Pacific
Duration: 45 Seconds
No of observers: 2

Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA

Shape: Light

Low, bright orange lights appear and multiply suddenly, then disapper as abruptly

I know this is not the most thrilling sighting, but it's enough for me to take the time to report it. I wonder if anyone else has seen a similar thing.

We live in a house at 1,400 ft elevation that sees clear across the Valley, and often watch the city lights and night sky. As usual, before going to bed, I took one last glance out the window southwest toward Phoenix. There I noticed two bright, orange-hued lights that appeared to be above or past (to the south) South Mountain. I assumed they were on a landing pattern (one behind the other) to Sky Harbor Airport and the orange tinge was due to haze in the air and the angle I was seeing them from. There is always alot of air traffic and though this approach was unusual (for me) to see, an approaching aircraft made sense. They were very bright, though. Then all of a sudden there appeared four, then six. All bunched together (extending my arm they covered the width of about one, maybe two fingers) but not in any perfect geometric formation (at least from my angle.) I thought this had to because the glass in the window was making them appear double or triple. I got my wife on her feet and out we went to see them outisde. There they were, at least six of them (maybe 7 or 8). Very bright, quite orange. They almost seemed to be dancing (this could have been because of refraction due to the heat). Their height was about the same as the radio towers on South Mountain but they were more to the east of them. I got the sense they were over the valley to the south. Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they one by one disappeared, all in about 10 seconds. It was as if they went below or past the horizon of the mountain, but it's odd to have so crisp a departure from such a distance (South mountain is about 20 miles away.) Maybe this was due to their brightness. I have seen other objects and lights I've wondered about from time to time over/beyond South Mountain but this multiplication, and abrupt departure was unlike anything. Maybe military formation? If they were commercial aircraft why did they appear so suddenly as a group and leave as quickly? Also, usually when I see commercial aircraft that appear orange it! is only from a great distance (or dust storm, smoke from fires, etc.) and they are dull and not nearly so bright. The visbility (from haze, we don't see clouds in June:) was about average or better last night.

Posted 2004-06-18