| When many people think of comets hitting the Earth, | | | | felt, and a magnetic storm started just a few minutes |
| they look to the far past. In truth, Siberia was home to | | | | later. This combination of environmental activities |
| a much more recent and dramatic event. | | | | caused widespread destruction in the Siberian area |
| Throughout the history of the Earth, many different | | | | that the comet exploded over. The explosion caused |
| celestial events have shaped our world. Asteroids and | | | | trees up to 30 kilometers away from its center to be |
| other debris from our Solar System have impacted | | | | flattened completely, and the sides of trees up to 60 |
| many parts of the Earth's land masses, leaving craters | | | | kilometers away were burned. Over 6000 square |
| which evolved into lakes and other significant land | | | | kilometers of the Stony Tunguska River Valley forest |
| formations. Most of these events took place long | | | | were completely obliterated, but no crater was found. |
| before man ever walked the Earth, but some have | | | | This explosion, scientists concluded, had the power of |
| happened as recently as the last 100 years. One | | | | a 30 megaton atomic bomb. It didn't just destroy |
| event that took place a bit longer ago, but that was | | | | forests, however. People were also in its path and |
| definitely significant, happened in Siberia. | | | | were killed. Some were burned as an immediate result |
| The date was June 8, 1908 when a fragment of a | | | | of the explosion, while others died of mysterious |
| comet hit the atmosphere above the vast expanse of | | | | symptoms which today can be likened to toxic |
| Siberia. It is said that the comet piece went streaking | | | | poisoning. For this reason, the chief of the Tungus |
| across the sky, with a blue-white light that was much | | | | people (at that time) stated that the area was |
| stronger and brighter than the sun. The comet | | | | enchanted, and sealed it off to the residents. Looking |
| fragment exploded while it was still in the atmospheric | | | | back, it was also found that plants in the area had |
| layers of the Earth (it did not make contact with land), | | | | mutations but people were flummoxed. While a comet |
| about six to eight kilometers above the ground. This | | | | produces massive energy bursts, the destruction is not |
| intense explosion caused a blinding flash of light and | | | | radioactive in nature. |
| intense heat, with the light from the explosion being | | | | Due to the remote location of the blast site, the comet |
| seen up to 1000 kilometers away. | | | | event over Siberia went practically unnoticed for a long |
| The explosion of the comet over Siberia was not just | | | | time. Nonetheless, it serves as a reminder that we are |
| intense looking or sounding, but it actually caused some | | | | a target for celestial bodies. Had the event involved |
| very real damage. Right after the explosion, | | | | the entire comet instead of a slice, you might not be |
| electromagnetic pulse and field abnormalities could be | | | | reading this. |