Mystery space blast 'solved' [Italian Scientists Solve Mystery of 1908 Siberian Blast]

BBC ^

[AppyPappy]

Astronomers may have solved the puzzle of what it was that brought so much devastation to a remote region of Siberia almost a century ago.

The asteroid was probably a pile of space rubble - like Mathilde

In the early morning of 30 June, 1908, witnesses told of a gigantic explosion and blinding flash. Thousands of square kilometres of trees were burned and flattened.

Scientists have always suspected that an incoming comet or asteroid lay behind the event - but no impact crater was ever discovered and no expedition to the area has ever found any large fragments of an extraterrestrial object.

Now, a team of Italian researchers believe they may have the definitive answer. After combining never-before translated eyewitness accounts with seismic data and a new survey of the impact zone, the scientists say the evidence points strongly to the object being a low-density asteroid.

They even think they know from where in the sky the object came.

[AppyPappy]

Click the source for the whole story with pictures.

[Darth Reagan]

So it was just an extra-terrestrial truckload of gravel? But the whole anti-matter theory was so much more sexy.

[blam]

Tunguska bump. Astronomers predict that we can expect one of these every 100 years.

[Tijeras_Slim]

What happened to Bagdad? It was a Tunguska event, yeah, that's the ticket...

[Dog Gone]

Good. We have another six years before we need to begin to worry.

[null and void]

*sigh* Too hard to set up. Worse than herding cats...

[ClearCase_guy]

*sigh* Too hard to set up. Worse than herding cats...

Nah, we've got about 18,000 man-made Tunguska events just waiting to happen.

[dead]

Nothing like re-resolving a question that has been resolved for decades.

[ChemistCat]

lump dump bump *

[WalterSkinner]

Some people tend to think that it was one of Tesla's experiments that got away.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

You've said exactly what I was thinking. Why is this news again? Was someone blaming the explosion on the US?

[Looking for Diogenes]

...seismic data...

I didn't know they had recording seismographs in Siberia in 1908. Remarkable.

[null and void]

They didn't. Seismic data from Europe and the US. This puppy was BIG. Recording barometers in England measured the shock wave, the shock wave after it circled the globe, and the shock wave after it circled the globe a second time!

[null and void]

We don't want a clear case, guy. It has to look like an accident...

[jojo the boxing kangaroo]

Anytime I hear of a cataclysmic explosion, my first reaction is to blame Oprah Winfrey passing gass too close to an open flame. The problem with my theory is that I don't believe Oprah was alive in 1908. So it must be from some other source, but what how could there be anything on earth other than Oprah that could cause such an explosion?

[Old Student]

We think a big chunk of ice, breaking up and pretty much subliming on its way down, is a more viable theory. There'd be something left of that much of a mobile gravel pile.

[FrogMom]

We don't want a clear case, guy. It has to look like an accident...

Can we make do with plausible deniability?

[null and void]

Can we make do with plausible deniability?

Works for me!

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 10/31/2001. Thanks AppyPappy.

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[SunkenCiv]

This topic was posted Oct 31, 2001, thanks AppyPappy.

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Here's the rest of the Tunguska keyword, sorted:

• Tunguska event may be caused due to an asteroid [05/28/2020]
• Earth was hit by a mysterious ‘mini-moon’ fireball asteroid, scientists reveal [12/03/2019]
• On International Asteroid Day, here's what to know about the threat to Earth [06/30/2019]
• Earth Is Moving Toward Same Meteor Swarm Scientists Believe Caused The Tunguska Explosion Of 1908 [06/18/2019]
• 'Assassination' of Malaysian consul Zahid Raza in Madagascar fuels new MH370 conspiracy [09/02/2017]
• Search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 finally called off with mystery unsolved [01/17/2017]
• The Man Solving Malaysia Flight 370 [10/26/2016]
• Suspected debris from missing MH370 points to fire on plane [09/12/2016]
• UFO landing site? Meteorite crater? Scientists baffled by gigantic 262ft hole [Siberia] [07/15/2014]
• 106 Years Ago, A Mysterious Explosion 1000x More Powerful Than The Hiroshima Bomb Rocked Siberia [06/30/2014]
• How We're Finding Asteroids Before They Find Us [04/16/2014]
• Possible Meteorite Fragments from 1908 Tunguska Explosion Found [05/02/2013]
• Don't blame a comet for Clovis culture demise, scientists say [03/10/2013]
• Mass grave in London reveals how volcano caused global catastrophe [08/05/2012]
• Have scientists finally found the meteorite which set off the mysterious 1908 Tunguska catastrophe? [05/21/2012]
• Astronomy Picture of the Day -- Tunguska: The Largest Recent Impact Event [10/01/2011]
• When Comets Attack: Solving the Mystery of the Biggest Natural Explosion in Modern History [05/07/2009]
• Toxic Gases Caused World's Worst Extinction [02/04/2009]
• Russian Scientists In Bid To Solve Tunguska Event [07/01/2008]
• 100 years on, mystery shrouds massive 'cosmic impact' in Russia [06/29/2008]
• Planetary science: Tunguska at 100 [06/25/2008]
• Tunguska, A Century Later [06/09/2008]
• Research: Asteroids pose greater danger [01/29/2008]
• Sandia supercomputers offer new explanation of Tunguska disaster [12/18/2007]
• Crater From 1908 Russian Space Impact Found, Team Says (Tunguska) [11/14/2007]
• Three-tonne meteorite stolen in Russia (rock from Tunguska) [08/12/2007]
• Crater Could Solve 1908 Tunguska Meteor Mystery [06/27/2007]
• A possible impact crater for the 1908 Tunguska Event [06/22/2007]
• Catastrophic Comet Chilled and Killed Ice Age Beasts (and Clovis people) [05/21/2007]
• Chance of asteroids hitting earth very slim - Russian astronomers [05/08/2006]
• Greenhouse theory smashed by biggest stone [03/30/2006]
• Threat of Cometary Impacts may be Underestimated [10/27/2004]
• Grains Found in Ga. Traced to Asteroid [08/24/2004]
• Russian scientists claim discovery of alien spaceship wreck in Siberia [08/13/2004]
• Tunguska, Siberia - Russian scientists claim discovery of alien spaceship [08/11/2004]
• Russian Researchers Say Debris of Alien Spaceship found in Siberia [08/10/2004]
• Very Large Meteorite Fell Down in Siberia [06/13/2004]
• Cosmic Collision May Have Created Hawaii [02/20/2004]
• SIBERIA METEORITE FLATTENS 40 SQ MILES [06/09/2003]
• Evidence Of Tunguska-Type Impacts Over The Pacific Basin Around The Year 1178 AD [01/26/2003]
• More Theories on Tunguska [10/28/2002]
• Russian meteorite an 'event of the century' [10/14/2002]
• Cash Plea For Russian Meteor Chasers (Impact Crater) [10/08/2002]
• Asteroid 'Hit Northern Russia' [10/05/2002]
• Asteroid detected in a close call with Earth [06/20/2002]
• What Caused Argentina's Craters? [05/09/2002]