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CCNet TUNGUSKA SPECIAL

CCNet SPECIAL: TUNGUSKA ANNIVERSARY & HISTORICAL CATASTROPHES


     Curious Sun Effects at Night
     To the Editor of THE TIMES [3 July 1908]

     Sir, - Struck with the unusual brightness of the heavens, the band 
     of golfers staying here strolled towards the links at 11 o'clock 
     last evening in order that they might obtain an uninterrupted view 
     of the phenomenon. Locking northwards across the sea they found 
     that the sky had the appearance of a dying sunset of exquisite 
     buity. This not only lasted but actually grew both in extent and 
     intensity till 2.30 this morning, when driving clouds from the 
     east obliterated the gorgeous colouring. I myself was aroused from 
     sleep at 1.15 a.m., and so strong was the light at this hour, that 
     I could read a book by it in my chamber quite comfortably. At 1.45 
     a.m. the whole sky, N. and N.E., was a delicate salmon pink, and 
     the birds began their matutinal song. No doubt others will have 
     noticed this phenomenon, but as Brancaster holds an almost unique 
     position in facing north to the sea, we who are staying here had 
     the best possible view of it.
     Yours faithfully,
     Holcombe Ingleby, Dormy House Club, Brancaster, 1 July (1908) 


     British Astronomical Association - At the monthly meeting held on 
     Wednesday evening at Sion College, Victoria embankment, Mr G. J. 
     Newbegin drew attention to the disturbed state of the solar 
     atmosphere, showing a drawing and giving a description of a very 
     large prominence that he had observed and measured in the morning 
     of that day (1 July), and that showed unusual changes of form. 
     Allusion was made by Mr E.W. Maunder and Mr H.P. Hollis (both of 
     the Royal Observatory) of the long-lasting aurora of the previous 
     evening. [from THE TIMES, 3 July 1908]


     In the North West, quite high above the horizon, the peasants saw 
     a body shining very brightly (too bright for the naked eye) with a 
     bluish-white light ... The sky was cloudless, except that low down 
     on the horizon in the direction in which this glowing body was 
     observed, a small dark cloud was noticed .... It was hot and dry 
     and when the shining body approached the ground it seemed to be 
     pulverized, and in its place a huge cloud of black smoke was 
     formed and a loud crash, not like thunder, but as if from the fall 
     of large stones or from gunfire, was heard.
     All the buildings shook and, at the same time, a forked tongue of 
     flame broke through the cloud. All the inhabitants of the village 
     ran out into the street in panic. The old women wept and everyone 
     thought the end of the world was approaching [from the Irkutsk 
     newspaper SIBIR, 2 July 1908]


     The noise was considerable but no stone fell. All the details of 
     the fall of a meteorite here should be ascribed to the over-active 
     imagination of impressionable people [from the Irkutsk newspaper 
     SIBIR, 4 July 1908]


     Before setting out, [Leonid Alexeivich] Kulik wanted to spend 
     several days recording interviews with Tungus eyewitnesses of the 
     explosion. Lyuchetkan said that he knew of several such people and 
     agreed to bring Kulik to them. Some of the Tungus Kulik approached 
     were reluctant to talk about the event. Others became angry and 
     refused outright even to mention it. But many were willing to 
     speak with him.. Kulik was fascinated by the mystical aura that 
     sometimes seemed to cloud descriptions. An enraged Ogdy had 
     visited them, the Tungus maintained, and the fire god had put a 
     curse on the epicenter region. Anyone who dared enter it surely 
     would be cursed likewise. There even were accounts of herds of
     reindeer being sacrificed to appease the angry and vindictive 
     god." [Roy A Gallant: The Day the Sky Split Apart, 1995] 



(1) TUNGUSKA ANNIVERSARY
    Duncan Steel  wrote:

(2) TUNGUSKA REMINDER IN TURKMENISTAN: METEORITE IMPACT ON 20 JUNE
    Brian Marsden 

(3) ATMOSPHERIC IMPACT TRIGGERS STAR CULT
    Gordon Garradd 

(4) IMPACTS OF ASTEROIDS AND COMETS ARE INEVITABLE 
    The Cosmic Threat to Civilisation is real and should no longer be 
    played down, writes Benny J Peiser 

(5) MORE ON THE AD 536 EVENT
    Leroy Ellenberger  
  
(6) AD 536 AND ITS AFTERMATH: THE YEARS WITHOUT SUMMER
    Joel D. Gunn 
 
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(1) TUNGUSKA ANNIVERSARY