Swarm of fragments from the Tunguska event

ABSTRACT The Tunguska event took place on 1908 June 30. It was accompanied by an abnormal effect on the Earth's atmosphere, manifesting itself through ‘white nights’. These nights were associated with a dispersion of cosmic matter and the formation of a field of noctilucent clouds with a uniquely large size of over 10 million km2. However, overall, the cosmic matter was scattered over a territory of around 18 million km2. The most likely cause of the Tunguska event was the flux of fragments from the broken-up cometary object. The destruction of the cosmic body over Siberia, according to local inhabitants, was marked by numerous sound phenomena. After analysing eyewitness accounts, we can conclude that there were at least two major objects at the Tunguska event. The largest object exploded over the Taiga and caused damage to the forest. In addition, there were several dozen fragments of around 10 m in size, as well as many fragments of a smaller size.

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Flight and fracture of the Tunguska cosmic body into the Earth's atmosphere

Computers & Fluids ◽

10.1016/0045-7930(92)90041-s ◽

1992 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 323-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

V.P. Korobeinikov ◽

S.B. Gusev ◽

P.I. Chushkin ◽

L.V. Shurshalov

Keyword(s):

Cosmic Body ◽

Earth’S Atmosphere ◽

Tunguska Cosmic Body ◽

Earth's Atmosphere

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On the possibility of through passage of asteroid bodies across the Earth’s atmosphere

Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society ◽

10.1093/mnras/staa329 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 493 (1) ◽

pp. 1344-1351 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daniil E Khrennikov ◽

Andrei K Titov ◽

Alexander E Ershov ◽

Vladimir I Pariev ◽

Sergei V Karpov

Keyword(s):

Outer Space ◽

Initial Mass ◽

Substantial Fraction ◽

Water Ice ◽

Earth’S Atmosphere ◽

Asteroid Body ◽

Tunguska Event ◽

Earth's Atmosphere ◽

Solar Orbit

ABSTRACT We have studied the conditions of through passage of asteroids with diameters 200, 100, and 50 m, consisting of three types of materials – iron, stone, and water ice, across the Earth’s atmosphere with a minimum trajectory altitude in the range 10–15 km. The conditions of this passage with a subsequent exit into outer space with the preservation of a substantial fraction of the initial mass have been found. The results obtained support our idea explaining one of the long-standing problems of astronomy – the Tunguska phenomenon, which has not received reasonable and comprehensive interpretations to date. We argue that the Tunguska event was caused by an iron asteroid body, which passed through the Earth’s atmosphere and continued to the near-solar orbit.

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Notes on historical aspects on the earliest known observations of noctilucent clouds

History of Geo- and Space Sciences ◽

10.5194/hgss-3-87-2012 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 87-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

P. Dalin ◽

N. Pertsev ◽

V. Romejko

Keyword(s):

Volcanic Eruptions ◽

Noctilucent Clouds ◽

Historical Aspects ◽

Earth’S Atmosphere ◽

Historical Fact ◽

English Speaking ◽

Earth's Atmosphere ◽

First Time ◽

Mount St Helens

Abstract. The present paper considers historical aspects of the earliest known observations of noctilucent clouds (NLCs). The 1884 and 1885 are discussed by considering important historical citations by the pioneers of the earliest known observations of noctilucent clouds. For the first time in NLC studies, we consider seven major volcanic eruptions: Laki in 1783, Mount St. Helens in 1800, Tambora in 1815, Galunggung in 1822, Cosigüina in 1835, Shiveluch in 1854 and Askja in 1875. These all preceded the catastrophic 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, which despite having a lesser magnitude than Tambora in 1815, had pronounced effects on the atmosphere. These eruptions represent possible triggers for the appearance of NLCs. For the first time, we publish an unknown, in English-speaking literature, historical fact on the first determinations of the altitude of noctilucent clouds made by two Russian astronomers V. K. Tseraskii and A. A. Belopolskii on 26 June 1885, who managed to infer the altitude of the clouds in the range of 73–83 km, that is, for the first time, demonstrating the possible existence of the clouds at great altitudes in the Earth's atmosphere. Moreover, V. K. Tseraskii was the first observer to photograph noctilucent clouds in 1885 or 1886, which is 1–2 yr before the German astronomer O. Jesse, who owns the first published images of noctilucent clouds. The photographs made by V. K. Tseraskii, unfortunately, did not reach us.

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