Almost 10 years after the first sightings, one of the most controversial and strange UFO events of recent history has apparently come back for an encore.The military is already claiming these are flares. They don't look like flares at all to me, but this link has some video which you can watch and make up your own mind.http://cbs4.com/topstories/local_story_038103140.htmlAlso, here is a link to the website about the recently released DVD documenting the first sightings almost 10 years ago. Lots of video & pics there to chew on too.http://www.thephoenixlights.net/More history (and legends) about the 1997 case from a UFO website. http://www.ufocasebook.com/phoenixlights.htmlSomeone who claims to have seen and photographed similar (or same) lights during daylight hourshttp://www.rense.com/general40/phoenix.htmMore video of the 1997 sightings, courtesy of YouTubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Y5RjhOThMFinally, the obligatory "Wiki"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_LightsIt should be noted that while the 1997 sightings were called the "Phoenix" lights, the phenomenon was observed and photographed in many places around the state of Arizona, over a period of many nights. It will be interesting to see if tonight

If those look similar to the 1997 sighting, then they are LUU-2's. The LUU-2 is a flare launched in front of an aircft from 2.75" rockets that then hang in the air under parachutes to illuminate the ground for CAS aircraft. Used widely in the past, it is probably less so nowadays with our night vision capabilities, but still can be found used by A-10s. I couldn't believe people made a UFO event out of it in 1997. When I first saw that video, the first thing that crossed my mind were the LUU-2 flares. Still can't understand how people can call them UFOs. If you want to see these flares in action, they are available in the combat sim Lock On Modern Air Combat.

So this whole Phoenix Lights returns thing started me to renew my interest, go down memory lane, and do a bit more research this time with the aid of google, youtube, and the internet.1952...the lights over the capitol. One of the most documented and strange UFO events in history. Radar returns, scrambled jets, headlines in the Wash Post, and 350 other US newspapers. Probably the single event that began the USAF Project Blue Book:http://www.subversiveelement.com/UFOWashingtonDC.htmlhttp://www.ufologie.net/htm/usa1952.htmhttp://www.ufocasebook.com/washingtondc1952.htmlNow, just like the Phoenix lights, lets come back to DC 50 years TO THE DAY.

And on the topic of Phoenix lights another event in Arkansas, Jan 18 2007http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publi...272611072.shtmlAnd finally, here is almost 10 minutes of video recorded around the famous O'Hare lights of Jan 2007.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogIfcDzTmhESeems pretty impromptu and real to me.I think these events are worth discussing. They are without conclusive explanation, and until that happens, I'm open to theory.My 2 cents,bt

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQgfaLFTl4UThis is Buzz Aldrin speaking mind you, not bt.bt

Make of them what you will. BTW, the "We have an unidentified flying object" quote at the begining is off of NASA tapes, from a NASA mission.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f-nB8Ait-Mbt

To me they look like flares. I remember when aircraft flying over the ocean could see lines of lights on the surface at night, people then started to say these were UFO sightings. Actually, they were lights coming from Rigs in the see.

I don't think I made any comments there about whether I do or don't believe in other life or UFOs. All I said is that those are LUU-2 flares used by A-10s. Just because those recent lights near Phoenix and those seen earlier there are illumination flares used by the military doesn't mean that there is no other life out there besides ours. It is just that this particular phenomena occasionally observed near Phoenix occuring in the MOAs are widely mistaken by uninformed people as UFOs. Just because those are not UFOs does not mean there are no UFOs. If you want a good UFO incident, google Shag Harbor. The extent to which life can be found on this planet shows that the tendency is for life to flourish given even mildly acceptable conditions. For any of us to think that we are the only life or even semi-intelligent life in the Universe is pretty arrogant. Even NASA admits that the thrust of exploration now is on finding life.As a correction, the LUU-2s are dropped, not fired, from pods.

It was not my intent to imply your belief one way or the other. I just wanted to change the topic, and thought that subject line clearly defined my POV. Just made the mistake of replying to you instead of starting at the root of the thread.Anyways thanks for the note, and I agree they could be flares. Fun stuff to noodle on I think.Cheers,bt