There is something so spectacular about sitting under a blanket of stars. While staring at the vastness of space you may ponder the meaning of life and watch for shooting stars, but then again other times there are suspicious lights that seem to pop up out of nowhere. We here in America are no strangers to unidentified flying objects; after all, there have been tons of reported unexplained activity in the night sky (I’m looking at you Roswell, New Mexico!). However, some of these sightings have hit a bit closer to home, including one recent UFO sighting in Tennessee that still has experts and residents scratching their heads.

Early in May 2022, everything seemed like a very normal night for regular East Tennessee residents. The sky was clear, but then something strange caught the attention of those enjoying the night sky over Knoxville.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center/ Flickr
This odd band of lights in a circular pattern was floating overhead, and, thanks to Nate Nelson, the owner of Smoky Mountain Photography Excursions, we have a photo of the object. This strange sight caught the attention of many people that night and everyone wanted to know what what this object was.
WVLT News/ YouTube
Answers followed quickly as reporters worked hard to track down the truth.
Flicker User: iLighter/ Wikipedia
The website FlightAware, a site that tracks air traffic, claimed "it" to be a balloon based on its erratic flight patterns. The object in question was said to belong to Alphabet, which is a parent company of Google. The balloon in question was said to be a part of the Loon Balloon project that was launched in an attempt to allow rural areas internet access.

The strange thing is... Alphabet never claimed the balloon, and better yet, they'd reportedly discontinued the project a year earlier.

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Months earlier, residents also spotted another strange phenomenon in the night sky.
Kirill Ignatyev/ Flickr
A large string of lights in one straight continuous line floated across the night sky. This was later confirmed as the Starlink program by famed Elon Musk. Even though this sighting was easily explained, people were looking to the stars suspiciously. Perhaps that is why so many people saw what they believed to be an unidentified flying object (UFO) in May 2022.
So the question remains: what was in the sky in May of 2022?
Interdimensional Guardians/ Flickr
Was it another visit from little green men from outer space? Or was it in fact some kind of balloon? It still seems strange that no one is claiming the object in question, and answers have still yet to be settled.
We might not ever know what was flying high in the starry sky that night. It could have been aliens or a perfectly reasonable cause, but until we have the truth, we will always be left wondering.
Joe/ Flickr

What do you think it was flying in the sky that night? Have you ever had a UFO sighting in Tennessee? Let us know if you have solved this mystery. Check out the news coverage from that interesting night and decide for yourself what this UFO might be.

Interested in watching the stars at night? Check out the two best dark sky parks in Tennessee to see a full display of outer space, perfect for looking for aliens… or, you know, the Milky Way. 

If you just love UFOs, make sure to check out this super cool aliens movie prop you can take home with you. Or maybe this galaxy cat t-shirt is more your style. Either way, they are both awesome!

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