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 In 1908, a big fireball exploded above Tungusta, in Siberia. It blew over all the trees for 50 kilometres around and changed the world climate for several years. The Tunguska event was due to the explosion of a relatively small (less than 50 metres) rock 10 km above the ground.
There was no loss of human life due to the very sparse population. But imagine what would happen if a fireball like that hit a city like Paris, London or Berlin! Events such as Tunguska may occur every few 100 years. (See this Fact Sheet .)
October 2004, news got out that 2200 years ago, a 1-km-wide comet hit the area of Chiemsee in Bavaria, Germany (link ). Over an area of 27 by 58 kilometres scientists have found more than 80 smaller and larger impact craters. The whole area is littered with little bits of meteorite and molten rock.
Archeologists have found remains of Celtic settlements that were destroyed by the fireballs raining from the sky. This event certainly killed many people.
You see, asteroids and meteorites are a serious threat. But how great is that risk really?
Time for your own research:
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 02 September 2006 )
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