# What were those strange lights in Arizona

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 27, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400 "2001-08-27T20:42:16Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2001, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/1 "2001-08-27T20:42:16Z")

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There’s a show on Discovery about them right now. Unfortunately, it was an hour long, and I had to return to the desk halfway through.

So what were those strange amber orbs that appeared in the Arizona night sky on March 13, 1997?

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2001, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/2 "2001-08-27T23:53:12Z")

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Sorry, sorry, that was me! Too many frijoles prior to climbing up one of the mesas outside of Sedona that evening!

QTM

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2001, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/3 "2001-08-27T23:55:59Z")

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That proves it was a coverup, Sedona is Northwest, the lights were directly south of town, right over the grassy knoll, I mean South Mountain.

All indications that the lights were parachute flares dropped during military exercises.

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**Author:** ![Stupendous\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Stupendous\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stupendous_man)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/4 "2001-08-28T00:34:34Z")

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I wonder why noone bothered looking at them through a Infra-red camera?  
Oh well…

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**Author:** ![JimOfAllTrades](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@JimOfAllTrades](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimOfAllTrades)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/5 "2001-08-28T00:44:27Z")

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Pretty conclusively shown to be flares dropped from aircraft, as I recall. I’ll see if I can find any of my references on them.

Ugly

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**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-were-those-strange-lights-in-arizona/78400/6 "2001-08-28T00:45:34Z")

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If I remember correctly, they were found to be flares being dropped by parachute.

At least, that’s what THE MAN wanted us to believe!