Phoenix Arizona Strobing Orb Sequence 2008

On April 21, 2008, hundreds of Phoenix residents observed a formation of amber orbs performing pattern changes over the city. The formation maintained geometric shapes, expanded, contracted, and rearranged itself over 20 minutes before the lights extinguished one by one. Phoenix Police received numerous calls and dispatched officers who confirmed the sightings. Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport tower crew observed the formation and filed reports. Phoenix Fire Department helicopters were launched to investigate aerially but reported being unable to locate the objects from the air despite ground observers still seeing them. The FAA was subsequently contacted and Sky Harbor radar records were requested. The encounter occurred within the approach corridors for Sky Harbor Airport, making it a potential airspace safety concern. The 2008 Phoenix orbs drew inevitable comparison to the more famous 1997 Phoenix Lights incident over the same city, and local media revisited both events in the context of the new sighting.