Look Up, West Alabama — Space Junk Could Fall From The Sky Today

West Alabama already has its eyes on the sky today thanks to forecasts calling for heavy rain and the possibility of hail. But there may be another reason to look up later this afternoon — falling space junk.

According to NASA, a 1,300-pound satellite roughly half the size of a Honda Civic is expected to crash back to Earth sometime today.

Most of the satellite will burn up as it tears through the atmosphere during re-entry. However, NASA says there is still a small chance that some pieces could survive the fall and reach the ground.

Just how small?

NASA estimates the odds of debris hitting someone at about 1 in 4,200, which the agency classifies as “low.”

Officials say the remaining pieces are most likely to land in an ocean, but the satellite’s potential entry path also includes large portions of the United States — including the Southeast.

So while the odds are extremely small, it does mean that West Alabama technically sits under part of the possible debris path today.

In other words, keep an eye on the weather… and maybe the sky.

See you somewhere East of Midnight.