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The Tunguska Event, which occurred in 1908 in Siberia, is believed to have been caused by the explosion of a large meteoroid or comet in Earth’s atmosphere. The explosion released an estimated 10-15 megatons of energy, flattening trees and causing shockwaves that were felt hundreds of kilometers away. The exact cause of the event is still debated, with theories ranging from a meteoroid impact to a comet nucleus explosion. However, most scientists agree that the object responsible for the Tunguska Event was around 50-60 meters in size and exploded at an altitude of 5-10 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
Have you ever observed a meteor shower? How about a solar eclipse? Maybe you’ve witnessed a comet glide across the sky. If you gaze at the heavens long enough, you’re bound to witness some incredible phenomena!
However, there are times when science struggles to explain the things people see in the sky. If you’ve been pondering with us for a while, you might already be familiar with UFOs. Today’s Wonder of the Day delves into another enigma – the Tunguska Event.
On June 30, 1908, unusual reports flooded in from Siberia. People experienced a sudden, intense heat and heard loud noises coming from near the Tunguska River. One person described witnessing “the division of the sky.” People saw flames streaking through the air above the forest’s trees.
Even those who were 40 miles away were knocked to the ground by the wind and heat. Forests were flattened, with over 80 million trees uprooted. As far as eastern Asia, the night sky shone with sunlight reflecting off dense cloud cover. The event resulted in the deaths of many animals, including reindeer, and it is believed that up to three people lost their lives.
Today, this incident is known as the Tunguska Event. It is also referred to as the Tunguska Explosion or Tunguska Impact. What caused it? Experts have been striving to answer that question for many years.
Immediately after the event, some people speculated that it was caused by aliens. They believed that the heat and flames could have been the result of a spaceship from another planet. Locals even wondered if it was the work of an angry deity. Due to the harsh conditions in Siberia, it took years before a team of scientists could investigate the area.
In 1927, Leonid Kulik led a team to the site. Kulik worked as a curator in the meteorite collection at the St. Petersburg Museum. When they arrived, they discovered that the trees at the epicenter of the event were still standing upright. However, they were stripped of all branches and bark. Nearly two decades later, trees in Hiroshima, Japan, were left in the same condition after the city was struck by an atomic bomb.
Kulik’s team believed that a celestial object, such as an asteroid or a comet, caused the Tunguska Event. However, no crater was found. To explain this, the team concluded that the object must have exploded in the Earth’s atmosphere.
This explanation remained the leading theory for almost a century. However, in 2020, experts provided an update. Scientists at the Siberian Federal University now believe that an asteroid passed through the atmosphere instead of exploding. For this to happen, the asteroid must have been approximately 650 feet wide.
If these experts are correct, then the Earth had a very close encounter. The asteroid would have appeared as a blazing ball of fire in the sky as it streaked above the Siberian forest. If it had reached the ground, it would have created a crater around two miles wide.
Imagine if you had witnessed the Tunguska Event. How would you have explained it? Would you have thought it was a UFO? A comet? Even today, scientists are still working to solve the mystery!
Try It Out
Are you ready to learn more? Try out the following activities with a friend or family member.
- Are you interested in asteroids? It might be scary or exciting, but scientists are constantly monitoring asteroids. Read this article about NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, which tracks comets and asteroids that come close to Earth. Can you imagine having the job of watching out for near-Earth asteroids? How close is considered “near” when they talk about asteroids approaching Earth? Share what you’ve learned with a friend or family member.
- Imagine that you are a space explorer and you have a spaceship that can take you to the outer edge of our solar system. To assist you, take a look at this interactive map of our solar system. Write a story describing your journey from Earth to the sun and all the way to Pluto. What colors are the different planets? How did you navigate through the asteroid belt? How large is your spaceship? Who will accompany you on this journey? Share your story with a friend or family member.
- Space is vast! Ask a friend or family member to assist you with this activity to get an idea of just how big our solar system is.
References
https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2008/30jun_tunguska (accessed 29 Aug. 2021)
http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160706-in-siberia-in-1908-a-huge-explosion-came-out-of-nowhere (accessed 29 Aug. 2021)
https://astronomy.com/news/2020/10/tunguska-explosion-in-1908-caused-by-asteroid-grazing-earth (accessed 29 Aug. 2021)
https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2020/10/12/new-theory-suggests-tunguska-explosion-was-a-656-foot-wide-asteroids-near-miss-with-earth/?sh=41c2bbb743ac (accessed 29 Aug. 2021)
https://learnersdictionary.com/ (accessed 29 Aug. 2021)
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