The Tunguska event in 1908 was the largest impact event in recorded history, caused by a meteoroid or comet exploding above Middle Eastern Russia. The explosion flattened over 30 miles of forest and has been subject to pseudoscientific theories, but most scientists agree it was caused by a meteorite explosion. Recent papers support the asteroid hypothesis, but Russian scientists still believe it was a comet. The event raised awareness of the possibility of large asteroids hitting Earth and could have killed millions if it occurred over a populated area.
The Tunguska event is the largest impact event in recorded history. It happened in 1908 near the Tunguska River in Middle Eastern Russia, an isolated area. It is thought to have been caused when a large meteoroid or comet 197 to 623 feet (60 to 190 meters) in diameter exploded about 3 to 6 miles (5 to 10 kilometers) above the ground. The Tunguska event flattened an area of forest over 30 miles (50 km) wide, felling over 80 million trees. At the epicenter of the explosion, trees were left standing, but stripped of bark and branches.
Due to the mysteriousness of the Tunguska explosion – no meteroid has ever been found – it has been the subject of various pseudoscientific theories about its origin, including the crash of an alien spacecraft or an experiment conducted by Nikola Tesla. The scientific community is in agreement that the explosion was probably caused by a meteorite explosion. Various calculations involving the time of occurrence and the angle of approach of the body suggest that the body came from the direction of the asteroid belt.
For decades, scientists have debated whether the body was a comet — a body made mostly of ice and dust — or an asteroid, which would be metallic and rocky in composition. Papers published in the last decade or so help support the asteroid hypothesis; if the body were a comet, it would likely have disintegrated higher up in the atmosphere, instead of reaching within a few miles of the ground. The explosion was probably caused by the immense heat generated by entering the atmosphere. Proponents of the comet hypothesis suggest that the Tunguska impactor was a comet with a stony core. To this day, most Russian scientists believe the Tunguska impactor was a comet, while American scientists believe it was an asteroid.
The Tunguska explosion was important in causing awareness of the possibility of large asteroids hitting the Earth’s surface. Had the Tunguska blast occurred over a populated area, it could have killed millions. The Guinness Book of Records states that if the collision had occurred just 4 hours and 47 minutes later, it would have completely destroyed the city of St. Petersburg.
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