Odd lights in Phoenix-area sky prompt questions, UFO talk online

PHOENIX — Some odd lights were spotted in the sky above the Phoenix area on Monday, just days after it was revealed the Pentagon has been secretly investigating UFOs for years.

It didn’t take long for the internet to make the connection and start freaking out.

Photos and videos of the phenomena — which appeared to be a long strand or group of lights moving fluidly through the night sky — began to make the rounds on social media on Monday night.

A majority of the posts were made by people near Queen Creek and San Tan Valley, southeast of Phoenix.

Strange #Arizona #lights #sky #queenCreek pic.twitter.com/ExNjzTIMvY

— Chris Dengler (@chrisdengler) December 19, 2017

It was unknown what the lights were, though online theorists suggested a group of lanterns or flares — one of the attributed causes of the infamous Phoenix Lights — or a test of a drone show.

Or aliens.

Though the former two explanations were far more likely, the latter gained steam very quickly because of a New York Times report from the weekend.

The newspaper reported that the Pentagon has spent millions of dollars per year investigating UFOs. Though the Department of Defense claimed the program ended in 2012, those who backed it said things were still rolling.

Experts cautioned that the Pentagon may have simply been exploring strange phenomenon, but the man who ran the program said there may be reason to believe we are not alone in the universe.

"My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone," says former military intel official Luis Elizondo, who ran the Pentagon's UFO Unit https://t.co/VnVGrk0GUN pic.twitter.com/mXnPLgwATS

— CNN (@CNN) December 19, 2017

We’re just honestly a little surprised no one tried to blame the First Order. After all, the latest “Star Wars” film, “The Last Jedi,” was released Friday.

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