![]() On February 12, 1947, a large meteorite disintegrated spilled fragments over a 1.3-sq. Some of their fragments do not burn up during reentry and can be recovered. A disintegrating "secondary" comet forms the meteor showers that are frequently observed from the Earth. "Primary" comets consist of micron-sized inter-stellar dust and gas, whereas "secondary" comets feature meteorite substance. There are two kinds of comets in our Solar System. I am going to tell an upcoming international conference in Moscow to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska event that it was most likely caused by a comet fragment consisting of the Solar System's primary matter. However, astronomers have since then obtained additional information about the origin of celestial bodies, and can offer more convincing explanations for the Tunguska blast. When I became an astronomer 30 years ago, I believed that the mystery of the Tunguska meteorite would never be solved. Moreover, it is now impossible to verify them. A little later still, and the Tunguska meteorite would have wreaked chaos and destruction in densely populated Europe.Īlthough scientists have advanced over 80 theories explaining the Tunguska event, none of them offers any conclusive evidence. It is this possibility that has helped to spark discussion of asteroid deflection strategies.ĭue to the rotation of Earth, if the collision had occurred 4 hours 47 minutes later, it would have completely destroyed the Imperial Russian capital, St. An explosion of the scale of the one in Tunguska could destroy large metropolitan areas. The Tunguska blast was the largest meteoroid impact in the Earth's recent history, and demonstrated the awesome destructive power of near-space objects. The region has never completely recovered. The earthquake caused by the blast measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. ![]() The blast, about 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, felled an estimated 80 million trees over 2,150 square kilkometers (830 square miles). Studies have yielded varying estimates for the object's size, with most experts agreeing that it measured several dozen meters in diameter.Įstimates of the energy of the blast range from 5 megatons to as high as 30 megatons of TNT, with 10-15 megatons being the most likely yield. The explosion was most likely caused by the airburst of a large meteoroid or comet fragment at an altitude of 5-10 kilometers (3-6 miles) from the Earth's surface. ![]() The residents of the Vanavara trading post, 65 kilometers (40 miles) south of the blast site, later claimed that the ground trembled violently when attacked by a huge ball of fire, followed by a terrible storm that destroyed everything in its wake. Marty and the girls’ neighbor Joey become rivals, each helping the team at large figure out how to stop an asteroid with just the technology available in 1908… plus a few things they can easily steal from various different points in history.DEEP IMPACT The Tunguska Meteorite As A Warning From Outer Spaceįile image of trees knocked down by the Tunguska impact.Īlmost a century ago, on June 17 (30), 1908, a massive explosion occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River, in what is now Russia's Krasnoyarsk Territory, Central Siberia. Elizabeth makes fast friends with Eva’s younger sister Hope. Gabe develops a crush on Eva, who teaches him more about their rival, the Evil Magician, whom Gabe learns is named Kakovoulos. The kids meet magicians and apprentices from all across time and space, teaming up with a trio from just ten years in their future. Their assignment: to stop an asteroid bound for 1908 London, the largest city on earth at the time. Not only will he be going along this time, but they will also need the help of other magicians and apprentices too. But then the magician himself shows up at the Lovejoys’ door one day, frantically summoning them in person to their biggest assignment yet. It’s been a year since Gabe, Marty, and Elizabeth’s last adventure, and Gabe is starting to wonder if Thrylos will ever summon them again.
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