Question by goo_head_83: What caused the fireball in Tunguska, Siberia in 1908?
I heard that scientist speculate that it was a meteorite but they cannot prove that it was due to a lack of evidence. Is there any evidence showing this was cause by a meteorite or something else? Is the meteorite theory still the most accepted?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Ben
still no evidence, just speculation… most speculation says meteor
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Rubym says
A meteorite, asteroid or small comet are often stated. Back in the 1960's and 70's theories came up as far out as somewhere an atomic bomb was invented 40 years early or there was a UFO with a nuclear powered engine that blew up high in the atmosphere. Good story but probably a piece of an asteroid or comet.
shennie says
Whilst the singing of the nations anthem was looked upon as dodgey, the populace had gathered at Tunguska for a bit of a sing song and as at most Russian gatherings there was a huge ammount of vodka present and in the consumption of the vodka and during the singing of the lusty anthem some fool tried to light up one of those awful ciggarettes and the fumes just ignited, it was like 4th of July without Grand pa falling over the dog.
Hang loose dude.
Chris P says
It wasn't a meteorite, which are usually hard iron or other solid rock, but instead it was likely a comet fragment. Because comets are made of frozen liquids and gases, passing through our atmosphere would cause it to become superheated and explode miles above the surface of the ground, leaving no impact crater.
This would generate the massive explosion felt as far as London, and also cause the radial pattern of felled trees. This is by far the most likely of explanations.
Gary says
The two theories I have heard is a meteorite or a UFO /mothership crash landed and exploded.
Vincent G says
The real point of contention is as to if it was a rocky meteorite or a comet, something that is hard to check as the object burst while still 5 to 10 km above ground, and that the site was first visited by scientists over a decade later.
The other proposed explanations (black hole, anti-matter, an experiment by Nicola Tesla with the interesting twist that it would have occurred weeks after the impact date, a UFO (!!) crash) are essentially dismissed as having no credibility whatsoever.