What Was In The Skies Of West Alabama Thursday Night?

TUSCALOOSA, AL — We apologize in advance to our readers hoping for proof of Little Green Men in a flying saucer cruising the quiet skies of west Alabama.

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Still, something spotted in the sky Thursday night prompted calls to several local emergency management agencies and even resulted in a Tuscaloosa Police Department helicopter taking to the skies to investigate.

TPD says around 10 p.m. it was requested to fly over Bibb County after reports had been received by area emergency officials of a possible plane on fire. Fortunately, the reports were ultimately chalked up to an ongoing meteor shower or possibly space debris when the search yielded no wreckage or extraterrestrial lifeforms.

Jefferson County EMA's Chris Tate informed local agencies and meteorologists in Bibb, Jefferson and Tuscaloosa counties that there were initially varying reports of a “airplane on fire” Thursday night.

Tate then said after talking to air traffic controllers in Birmingham and other local airports, no reports had been received of any aircraft declaring an emergency, nor did they have any aircraft deviating from instructions from the tower.

He went on to say that air traffic controllers in Birmingham did, however, say they had an aircraft in Bibb County who either said they saw something similar or had been requested to circle around an area but did not find anything on fire on the ground.

The Air Force Rescue Coordination Center also told Tate that there were no reports of missing aircraft in Alabama at this time.

Tate then cited widespread reports and video circulating of a meteor of Alabama and Florida, going on to say that there is a possibility that whatever was witnessed might have been space debris.

As additional food for though, Space.com reports that the Perseid meteor shower will peak sometime last Saturday night into early Sunday morning.

NASA says during the peak of the meteor shower, those in the best viewing areas can expect to see roughly 100 meteors per hour.

Were you able to see the fireball over the skies of west Alabama? Let us know!

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