[Swordmaker]

My first thought was that I recalled seeing early pictures of still standing, de-branched trees directly under the supposed epicenter of the blast with more and more trees blasted down all pointing away from the blast. That was one of the pieces of evidence that proved it was not an impact event. The Italian theory would not be effected by this evidence.

However, I cannot see how a body entering the atmosphere at orbital or even sub-orbital velocities and then producing a violent megaton equivalent blast could possibly send a 10 meter portion of itself to strike the earth at a remarkably far slower velocity than the main mass.

[padre35]

The silt evidence seems a bit muddled, if their theory held, they would find particles in the silt of their impact, and they haven’t found any.

Unless of course the Smoking Man actually has the particles and Mulder and Sculley are trying to find both.../s

[bIlluminati]

However, I cannot see how a body entering the atmosphere at orbital or even sub-orbital velocities and then producing a violent megaton equivalent blast could possibly send a 10 meter portion of itself to strike the earth at a remarkably far slower velocity than the main mass.

Um, retrorockets? And notice they report the main body threw off a smaller body. Escape pod? Xists 90 years too early?

[TalonDJ]

However, I cannot see how a body entering the atmosphere at orbital or even sub-orbital velocities and then producing a violent megaton equivalent blast could possibly send a 10 meter portion of itself to strike the earth at a remarkably far slower velocity than the main mass.

The explosion of some part would have been due to atmospheric heating and thermal stresses and what not. Those effects are strongest by far on the side that is in the direction of travel. So if this time comes in fast and then the FRONT exploded it would slow down the rest of the mass that is behind the blast and traveling into the blast.