NUFORC Sighting 77970

Occurred: 2010-09-23 19:30 Local
Reported: 2010-09-24 00:37 Pacific
Duration: 1 hr 30 minutes
No of observers: 1

Location: Tumacacori, AZ, USA

Shape: Chevron
Characteristics: Lights on object, Emitted other objects, Aircraft nearby

Phoenix Lights Over the Tumacacoris, Southern AZ, Sept. 23, 2010:

Both Amber Light Lines and a Chevron.

Beginning at 7:30 pm MST, I saw single or double bright and large amber lights low over the horizon in two locations miles apart, over what appeared to be the Northern Part of the Tumacacori Highlands in Southern Arizona, North of Cerro Pelon. It is possible that the display occurred further to the WNW of this area.

I viewed the display from 2 miles east of the Tumacacori Mission.

At about 7:45 MST, I saw one of the double light displays (the one to the North, from my vantagepoint over the northernmost point of the Tumacacoris) turn into a huge line of at least six or seven amber lights, sequentially lighting right to left over 5 to 10 seconds, and then vanish. Within a minute or so, this sequential display repeated. A minute or so later, a second light display began at the more southerly site, and also repeated itself. This site appeared to me to be just North of Cerro Pelon in the Tumacacoris. Until 8:10, I saw no more sequential light displays, and went inside to search Phoenix Lights on the Internet.

About 8:40 I returned outside, and at 8:42, at the more southerly site, saw a huge chevron shaped structure with at least three amber lights defining it appear and then slowly rotate its point upward during about 5-7 seconds, and then vanish. A low flying plane or helicopter then headed rapidly southward at low altitude along the Santa Cruz River, skirting the entire Tumacacori Highlands from far northern end to southern end. At 8:44, a very bright white light/shooting star like object dropped from the sky near the more northerly site, but from higher altitude, falling vertically and not across the sky like shooting stars normally travel. At 8:45, a single amber light appeared at the more northerly site. At 8:52, two sequential displays of amber lights occurred in a short time frame at the southerly site. At 9:07, two sequential displays of amber lights occurred within a short time frame at the northerly site.

Prior to noting the single and/or double bright amber lights on the horizon by 7:30 pm MST, I had already noted what I presume to be a military helicopter sitting in position high over the central Tumacacori Highlands. It is not unusual to see such helicopters here in the Borderlands every night, but what was peculiar was the exceptionally high altitude of this helicopter. As the amber light display started and continued, the helicopter (with its flashing white, red, and green lights) slowly moved NW towards where the southerly display occurred, and then seemed to hover well above it. The helicopter disappeared behind (West of) the Tumacacoris at about 9:15 pm MST.

Weather conditions here this evening were cloudless, winds were reported as calm at reporting stations in Amado and Tumacacori, and the humidity was about 70-75%. The display started after the moon had risen, and the light from the harvest moon was exceptionally bright.

In sum, I believe I witnessed at least two large UFOs some miles apart, at two distinct sites, each lighting with 6 to 7 bright amber lights in a perfect line. At the more southerly site, I also once witnessed what appeared to be a chevron as it moved through three dimensions, and I am not sure if that UFO is the same object that appeared to be a line at the southerly site, or a third distinct UFO.

To speculate, because of the unusually perfect atmospheric conditions, and because of what I believe was a military helicopter overhead before the display began and apparently tracking it, I would surmise that the military was conducting some secret low altitude tracking or communication experiments. The moonlight might allow them easier observation/recovery, and the good atmospheric conditions might minimize extraneous perturbations.

Observer is a retired Ph.D. research scientist, highly specialized in the micromolecular, NOT the extremely macromolecular.

Posted 2010-11-21