2010-03-29 - Oro Valley, AZ - Formation

Three pulsating lights scene around Tucson AZ

My cousins and I stepped out side at 8:20 PM in Oro Valley (which is about a 45 minute drive north of Tucson) AZ just to look at planets. It was partially hazy but almost completely clear around Mt. Lemon of the Santa Catalina Range north of the city. As soon as we stepped out of the house I heard a high pitched screech coming from the south (from Tucson). It was fairly high pitched but sounded like a commercial airliner. The aircraft(s) were in the haze traveling north. Since it was loud (so most likely low) and traveling in a heading not a major population center I will assume that they were A-10 Warthogs hailing from Davis Monthon Airforce base in Tucson (they have exposed turbofan jet engines and sound similar to commercial aircraft). I only saw on faint pair of lights and they were flying west by northwest and probably at low altitude.

As the noise subsided, I looked towards Mt. Lemon and noticed ONE bright pulsating light coming from the northeast. It was brightly pulsating and at high altitude, pulsating at random intervals (sometimes many times in a second and sometimes one every two or three seconds). When it pulsated it appeared that their were green and red lights (one of each) in addition to many very small white lights on the sides of the objects. I am sure that this was not an airplane as the red and green lights (like those on the sides of airplanes to indicate their port and starboard sides) as they were not constant and the white lights were not a planes landing lights as they were not constant or pulsating in constant time. Although it was hazy in most of the sky, the sky around Mt. Lemon and the rest of the Santa Catalina mountains was clear as the moon and numerous stars were visible while only the brightest stars were visible in the rest of the sky. The craft appeared to spawn, as it sudd! enly appeared next to a star that I was viewing to the northeast. The craft travelled very quickly as it was able to transverse the entire mountain range in the course of about two minutes. As it progressed its strobing light gained in intensity. Although I can not say for sure, I would speculate that it flew at high altitude and was far to the north, most likely directly over Globe AZ. After about 30 seconds or so, a second identical object appeared behind and closer to the horizon, in relation to the first object. They were in constant formation and had a tethered appearance to it. The objects were definitely not satellites (as I've heard of old tethered satellites) as they were very bright (brighter than the surrounding stars). Right before I went in the house to get the whole family to see (as only three other people were witnessing it) a third light appeared. The object was identical to the others but was far in front of the other two and was at an altitude (or locatio! n as I can't really speculate on its hight) in between that of! the oth er objects. The objects combined form a V shape or that of an isosceles triangle with a very small angle made between the first two objects and the third one in front. When I came back out with the rest of the family about one minute later the objects and any traces of them were gone.