Tunguska Explosion

[NaptownKnight]

This was a massive and still unexplained explosion that took place in one of the most remote areas of Siberia. Heres a wiki article on it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_siberian_explosion

As the article states, it was most likely a meteor or comet, but there are many other, more radical explanations for it. This explosion was so massive that the night was lit up like day in places as far away as the UK for a couple of days. What do you guys think caused this, and why hasn't this garnered more scientific attention?

[Anarius]

A moment there I believed it was that nuclear storage area on Kola.
Phew..

[ajm317]

It has actually garnered quite a bit of scientific attention.

[Sebdeas]

Well since it was 1908, it surely wasn't a cold war experiment.
Probably just another meteorite(but bigger)

[Chaigidel]

yeah from what ive read it was an airburst meteor--- it probably exploded a few miles above the tunguska area thus creating the "butterfly" pattern of destruction wit the trees directly under the impact sight actually remaining standing (but dead and scorched of course)

[NaptownKnight]

But if it was a meteor it would have left a crater on the ground. Solid rock just doesn't explode and disintegrate. It's a shame that no expedition was sent sooner, they might have found more evidence.

[John I Tzimisces]

But if it was a meteor it would have left a crater on the ground. Solid rock just doesn't explode and disintegrate. It's a shame that no expedition was sent sooner, they might have found more evidence.

No.
Read the posts. It didn't impact with the ground, it exploded in midair ala a nuclear weapon, and the blast was directed at the forest below. Hiroshima isn't a giant crater for pretty much the same reason. Although this explosion was clearly more powerful than any nuclear weapon. Consistant enough with natural phenomena.

[ajm317]

Solid rock just doesn't explode and disintegrate.

Actually that's pretty much exactly what they think happened.

[Chaigidel]

well the idea is that it wasnt exactly a lump of iron or anything it was a porous rock, which could not stand the force of entry

[NaptownKnight]

Personally, I tend to agree more with the comet side, as it's perfectly reasonable that a comet would do the same thing, and it would melt before hitting the ground.

[ajm317]

Personally, I tend to agree more with the comet side, as it's perfectly reasonable that a comet would do the same thing, and it would melt before hitting the ground.

Ah well I'm glad we have an expert on the case.

[Zodiac]

I alaways thought of the Explosion as large comet that pretty much Instantly Vaporized at some point when entering the atmosphere. That kind rapid expansion can cause that kind of damage.

[MaryPoppinCaps]

It is interesting you bring this up. For in my science class, we discussed this recently. Apparently, the explosion was caused by Adam Tessla i think it was, though I am unsure that is his first name. Anyway, Tessla was an American inventor and brilliant man who made a huge electric death ray of sorts that used enourmous capacitors to harness and contain the power taken from lightning. Mind you, this was in 1908. He received no recognition for his inventions and such, while at the same time, Matthew Perry I think it was, made the first trip to the North Pole on a steel ship with all the world watching him. Tessla was jealous and attemped to bounce the electromagnetic energy waves off of the ionosphere and blast the North Pole. As you may or may not know, the ionosphere constantly changes it's altitude. Tessla attempted to calculate the angle at which to bounce the waves but did so incorrectly because he thought the ionosphere was lower than it was. Therefore, his calculations landed the enormous amount of energy directly at Tunguska, Russia. This would accurately explain the phenomena of no crater, no debris, and no other substances found similar to other events of the like, yet, the sky lit up for days because the air was superheated. The effects of the explosion you probably know so i won't get into it.

Now, I'm young and gullible , but this seems a good explanation as any to decipher this phenomena. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

[ajm317]

It is interesting you bring this up. For in my science class, we discussed this recently. Apparently, the explosion was caused by Adam Tessla i think it was, though I am unsure that is his first name. Anyway, Tessla was an American inventor and brilliant man who made a huge electric death ray of sorts that used enourmous capacitors to harness and contain the power taken from lightning. Mind you, this was in 1908. He received no recognition for his inventions and such, while at the same time, Matthew Perry I think it was, made the first trip to the North Pole on a steel ship with all the world watching him. Tessla was jealous and attemped to bounce the electromagnetic energy waves off of the ionosphere and blast the North Pole. As you may or may not know, the ionosphere constantly changes it's altitude. Tessla attempted to calculate the angle at which to bounce the waves but did so incorrectly because he thought the ionosphere was lower than it was. Therefore, his calculations landed the enormous amount of energy directly at Tunguska, Russia. This would accurately explain the phenomena of no crater, no debris, and no other substances found similar to other events of the like, yet, the sky lit up for days because the air was superheated. The effects of the explosion you probably know so i won't get into it.

Now, I'm young and gullible , but this seems a good explanation as any to decipher this phenomena. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

This is rather the same as if my history teacher had come in and told us that Kennedy had been assasinated by the CIA, except that actually wouldn't be QUITE as crazy.

People love to attribute death rays to Tesla. None of it is true of course.

I do hope you're joking.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

Telsa was Serbian, and his first name was Nikola, furthermore he was living in New York at the time.

Also why the hell would he kill an explorer because he had failed to gain recognition for his inventions?

[MaryPoppinCaps]

Hey now, don't get annoyed, it's just a discussion.

First off, thank you for clarifying, I guess I wasn't paying that close attention to the story and his background.

Second, you present a valid point. For the record, this was a story told to my science class by my teacher. Like I said, if not very clearly, Matthew Perry was sailing to the North Pole at this time, was he not? On his voyage, there were reporters present from many parts of the world, and news of his doings were widely published and talked of. At the same time, Nikola Tesla was making fantasic yet potentially dangerous inventions. Yet, he received little recognition and was regarded as somewhat strange(If I remember the story correctly ). Anyway, he apparently made the irrational decision to set an example of what he could do, and what his achievments were in comparison to Matthew Perry. He miscalculated the height of the ionosphere and blasted the hell out of Tunguska. Again, the mechanics of his invention and its capabilities would correctly explain the explosion which left little to no evidence of what caused it.

This is how I interpreted the story and my information may be flawed, as my teacher's. At any rate, I simply present another viable option in relation to this phenomena.

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

I have not heard of a Matthew perry traveling to the North Pole at the time, so i did a quick search on wikipedia, and it turned up 4 matthew perrys, none of which were alive around 1908.

Nikola Tesla was regarded as a bit of a 'mad scientist' at the time...

Im not annoyed at you, but your story seems somewhat outlandish

[MaryPoppinCaps]

I do not doubt you, as it is highly likely that I did not correctly remember the name from the story, or equally as likely, my teacher used the incorrect name. I am simply retelling a story of what my science teacher described to us. I also do not doubt that he is wrong, however, he may have flawed information like I stated before. I wouldn't be suprised if my story does in fact sound outlandish, as I am not very adept at describing a story and specific details like names. Thus, "Adam Tessla" .

None the less with or without correct names and specific details, I think that this could have occured. We have already said that there is no definitive evidence as to what caused the devastation. From my point of view, the probability that a brilliant inventor, if not a little "mad", that constructs an advanced yet expensive device that harnesses enormous amounts of electricity in capacitors, is equal to a giant meteor exploding before impact.

Your thoughts?

[Hookah Smoking Caterpiller]

Well according to the wiki, in his later life he did claim to have a 'death ray' of some disricption, however no government would fund him to make it thus it was discontiued.

[MaryPoppinCaps]

You are correct. My teacher described it to us and apparently when he did a demonstration on a cinder block wall, he obliterated into pieces without any visible force other than the ray. This was when the government officials took note of this and promptly destroyed one of his towers or "rays". He still had one left and if this is at all true, he used that one to accidentally destroy Tunguska. The government was scared of him, and rightly so.

Besides, these rays were expensive to make and to maintain, even now. I probably wouldn't fund him either.