Mothership declares March 'Celebrate Our Alien Overlords' month

If you’ve lived in Arizona, and especially the “Valley of the Sun,” for any amount of time then you are most likely already aware of our alien-influenced lifestyle. From paranormally persuaded policies and politicians to wacky weather wonders, what else could possibly explain our predilection for the preposterous than the persuasion of our overlords from on high? (You can learn more about these phenomena in the pages of Russ Kazmierczak’s Amazing Arizona Comics.)

One of Maricopa County’s most amazing marvels is the “Phoenix Lights” event that occurred on March 13, 1997, when residents across the state saw a series of lights a mile wide move across the night sky and then hover above the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Sixteen years later we still do not have a plausible explanation for the “Phoenix Lights” occurrence, but local doctor, Lynne D. Kitei, M.D., is now widely considered an expert regarding the event. To celebrate the 16th anniversary of the phenomena, Harkins Shea 16 Theater will be screening Dr. Kitei’s award-winning documentary film The Phoenix Lights at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 17. This show will likely sell-out, so get your tickets soon.

March is also “Are We Alone?” month on the Science Channel, with the debut of two alien themed television shows. Discovery’s Science Channel has teamed up with the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute to create all-new programming that “features leading scientists on the hunt for alien life forms that lie beyond Earth, examines the probable human response to actual aliens landing on Earth, and divulges fascinating new scientific discoveries about the existence of extraterrestrials.”

First up is the return of Alien Encounters. “Last year in the two-part special, Alien Encounters, distinguished scientists examined how extraterrestrials might communicate with Earth and discussed the ramifications. Now, the aliens have answered humanity’s call and after traveling billions of miles they’ve landed on our planet.” Alien Encounters: The Invasion is on Tuesday, March 5 and then Alien Encounters: The Offspring is on Tuesday, March 12.

The other program premiering in March is Aliens: The Definitive Guide, with episode one on Tuesday, March 19 and episode two on Tuesday, March 26. In this show “viewers trek to stunning, remote locations on Earth and throughout the galaxy to gain a better understanding of what mankind currently knows about life beyond our planet including on Earth-like exoplanets.”

Also during “Are We Alone?” month the Science Channel will air the premiere of NASA’s Mission To Mars on Tuesday, March 19, and Transit Of Venus on Tuesday, March 26. NASA’s Mission To Mars “reveals the science behind Curiosity – NASA’s largest and most powerful rover ever – and its exceptional journey to the Red Planet.” Transit Of Venus “brings a unique, fresh perspective to the rare astronomical event that occurred on June 5, 2012, when Venus passed directly between the Earth and the Sun.”