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Topics: Lexicon,
Metagene, Mutant,
Tunguska Event.
On June 30th 1908,
an unknown object exploded approximately 5 miles above the ground in
the Tunguska forest north of Siberia while traveling at an estimated
speed of 40 miles per second. An air wave generated by the blast circled
the earth twice, with the dust creating unusual sunsets and other atmospheric
effects all over Europe. The explosion produced surface temperatures
of 160 degrees Fahrenheit and was as powerful as a 100 megaton hydrogen
bomb, larger than any built by mankind. The blast knocked down trees
within a 20 mile radius and left no crater or meteoric debris. A concentration
of ablation products (like iron oxide and glassy spherules of fused
rock) stretched on a "tongue" 150 miles northwest of the impact site,
which would indicate that the object probably approached from a southeasterly
direction. Iridium was found in a peat layer 1 foot below the surface
at the site. The object itself is believed to have been small, perhaps
only 100 to 300 feet in diameter, which would explain why no astronomical
sightings were made prior to the impact.
(Real world
note: This actually happened - most likely by a small comet, though
not everyone agrees. To find out more, try Googling "Tunguska".)