The Tunguska Event

On June 30, 1908, a massive explosion occurred over the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Siberia. The blast flattened approximately 80 million trees across 800 square miles. No impact crater was found.

The Explosion

At 7:14 AM, residents observed a blinding flash and heard an explosion. The blast was detected by seismographs worldwide. People were knocked off their feet 40 miles away. Windows shattered hundreds of miles distant.

The Evidence

When expeditions finally reached the remote area in 1927, they found a vast area of flattened trees, all pointing outward from a central point. No crater, no fragments. The trees at ground zero stood stripped but upright.

The Theories

The leading explanation is an airburst: a meteoroid or comet exploding miles above the surface. Alternative theories include a natural hydrogen bomb, antimatter, a mini black hole, or a Tesla death ray experiment gone wrong.

The Implications

Had the explosion occurred over a populated area, millions could have died. The event demonstrated that objects from space pose genuine threat. It intensified interest in detecting and deflecting near-Earth objects.

Assessment

Tunguska was almost certainly a natural phenomenon, probably a cosmic impact. But the absence of a crater and the sheer scale of devastation continue to inspire speculation about what really happened over Siberia that morning.