What name is given to the 1908 Siberian explosion that flattened forests without leaving a large impact crater?
Tunguska event
The answer was Tunguska event. Here's the why, the decoys, and the source trail.
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The Tunguska event happened over remote Siberia on June 30, 1908, when an asteroid exploded in Earth's atmosphere. The airburst knocked down trees across a huge area, which is why scientists study it as a dramatic example of a space object exploding before impact.
This answer is checked against NASA - 115 Years Ago: The Tunguska Asteroid Impact Event.
A good trivia question makes the wrong answers feel close. Here is the clean read on the set.
- Tunguska event - correct answer.
- Chelyabinsk meteor - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Krakatoa eruption - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
- Chicxulub impact - a decoy; it may live near the same topic, but it does not answer this exact clue.
Tunguska event is the one to remember. The Tunguska event happened over remote Siberia on June 30, 1908, when an asteroid exploded in Earth's atmosphere. NASA describes Tunguska as an asteroid airburst: a mid-air explosion powerful enough to flatten forest while leaving no large impact crater behind.
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Sources: NASA