[meteorite-list] The Close Asteroid Shave & One That Got Swallowed

From: Sterling K. Webb <kelly_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:01:35 2004
Message-ID: <3D17FCCE.40CD253B_at_bhil.com>

Hi, Troy, List,

    2002MN is about the size as is calculated for the Tunguska impactor, which
did not make a crater at all; it was an air burst. But whether the kinetic
energy is delivered to the surface or merely to the atmosphere near the surface
has very little effect on the total amount of devastation, which would remain
pretty much the same. The Tunguska fireball was seen 375 miles away, heard 600
miles away. Its barometric pressure wave went around the globe three times
before it died out. The area of total devastation, sufficient to kill 90% to
95% of the human beings unfortunate enough to be there, was about 1200 square
miles. That's about the size of Belgium, which just happens to be on the same
lattitude as the Tungus River basin and, if the object had arrived a few hours
later, would have been the target, or 40 minutes later still, London.
    So, if you wanted to sum up the result of being hit by 2002MN or something
like it, just think "Bon voyage, Brussels. Adieu, Antwerp! Bye-bye, Belgium."

Sterling K. Webb
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Troy Bell wrote:

> Wonder where it would have left a crater at on the earth and how big of a
> crater it would have left, if it had not passed by the earth and hit it
> instead? Did anyone backtrack it's path to see where it would have hit?
>
> Troy B.
Received on Tue 25 Jun 2002 01:17:03 AM PDT