*Includes pictures *Includes accounts of the event by eyewitnesses and scientists studying it *Includes a bibliography for further reading "On 30 June 1908, a powerful blast ripped open the sky near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia and flattened more than 2,000 square kilometers of forest. Eyewitnesses described a large object tearing through the atmosphere and exploding before reaching the ground, sending a wave of intense heat racing across the countryside. At an estimated 3 to 5 megatons of TNT equivalent, it was the biggest impact event in recorded history." - Mark Pelow, author of "Rock samples suggest meteor caused Tunguska blast" When the atomic bombs were used against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, they ushered in a new era of power so destructive that nuclear weapons have not been used in any combat since then. The pictures of the devastated cities demonstrated the sheer strength of such weapons, and the impact was alarming enough to lead to efforts not only to control the proliferation of such weapons but to denuclearize altogether. It was hard for people to comprehend the power behind nuclear weapons in 1945, but that was due in great measure to the fact that most people were unfamiliar with the Tunguska event, which took place over 35 years earlier in a sparsely populated region of Siberia. On June 30, 1908, an explosion with an epicenter near the Tunguska River flattened an area of about 2,000 square miles, destroying tens of millions of trees and killing countless numbers of wildlife. Miraculously, there were no recorded human casualties as a result of the since named Tunguska event, which generated the energy equivalent of 1,000 of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima. The shockwave alone would have measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. It goes without saying that had the Tunguska event happened in a major metropolitan area, it would've been one of the biggest catastrophes in history, but due to the isolated area and the turbulent affairs in Russia during the World Wars and the Bolshevik Revolution, the event was mostly ignored during the early 20th century, and it is still often overlooked today, even as scientists continue to study it in an attempt to explain what happened. Although conspiracy theories have been proffered (as with other mysterious events), it is widely believed today that the explosion was caused by an asteroid or a comet, but people still continue to debate certain aspects of the blast, and Tunguska is constantly cited as a reason it is necessary to identify and monitor objects in space near Earth. The Tunguska Event chronicles the history and mystery behind the massive explosion, including eyewitness accounts and theories over what caused it. Along with pictures and a bibliography, you will learn about the Tunguska event like never before, in no time at all.

Leading specialists in various disciplines were first invited to a multidisciplinary workshop funded by ICSU on the topic to gain a better appreciation and perspective on the subject of comet/asteroid impacts as viewed by different disciplines. This volume provides a necessary link between various disciplines and comet/asteroid impacts.

The purpose of the book is a dual one: to detail the nature and results of Tunguska investigations in the former USSR and present-day CIS, and to destroy two long-standing myths still held in the West. The first concerns alleged “final solutions” that have ostensibly been found in Russia or elsewhere. The second concerns the mistaken belief that there has been little or no progress in understanding the nature of the Tunguska phenomenon. All this is treated by the author in a scholarly and responsible manner. Although the book does present certain unusual findings of Russian and Ukrainian scholars, it is important to stress that this is not a sensational book; it is, rather, a serious exposition of the results of rational investigations into a difficult scientific problem. We are demonstrating the true complexity of the problem that is now entering its second century of existence. Simple meteoritic models cannot explain all the characteristics of this complicated event, and therefore certain so-called “unconventional hypotheses” about the nature of the Tunguska explosion are to be considered as well.

In 1908, thunderous blasts and blazing fires from the sky descended upon the desolate Tunguska territory of Siberia. The explosion knocked down an area of forest larger than London and was powerful enough to obliterate Manhattan. The mysterious nature of the event has prompted a wide array of speculation and investigation, including from those who suspected that aliens from outer space had been involved. In this deeply researched account of the Tunguska explosion and its legacy in Russian society, culture, and the environment, Andy Bruno recounts the intriguing history of the disaster and researchers' attempts to understand it. Taking readers inside the numerous expeditions and investigations that have long occupied scientists, he foregrounds the significance of mystery in environmental history. His engaging and accessible account shows how the explosion has shaped the treatment of the landscape, how uncertainty allowed unusual ideas to enter scientific conversations, and how cosmic disasters have influenced the past and might affect the future.

An asteroid or comet will inevitably strike the Earth some day, and potentially cause great destruction. This volume considers hazards due to collisions with cosmic objects, particularly in light of recent investigations of impacts by the authors. Each chapter, written by an expert, contains an overview of an aspect and new findings in the field. Coverage describes and numerically estimates the main hazardous effects.

“Interesting...Bowlin's calmly rational approach to the subject of conspiracy theories shows the importance of logic and evidence.”—Booklist "A page-turning book to give to someone who believes in pizza pedophilia or that the Illuminati rule the world."—Kirkus Reviews The co-hosts of the hit podcast Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know, Ben Bowlin, Matthew Frederick, & Noel Brown, discern conspiracy fact from fiction in this sharp, humorous, compulsively readable, and gorgeously illustrated book. In times of chaos and uncertainty, when trust is low and economic disparity is high, when political institutions are crumbling and cultural animosities are building, conspiracy theories find fertile ground. Many are wild, most are untrue, a few are hard to ignore, but all of them share one vital trait: there’s a seed of truth at their center. That seed carries the sordid, conspiracy-riddled history of our institutions and corporations woven into its DNA. Ben Bowlin, Matt Frederick, and Noel Brown host the popular iHeart Media podcast, Stuff They Don’t Want You To Know. They are experts at exploring, explaining, and interrogating today’s emergent conspiracies—from chem trails and biological testing to the secrets of lobbying and the indisputable evidence of UFOs. Written in a smart, witty, and conversational style, elevated with amazing illustrations, Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know is a vital book in understanding the nature of conspiracy and using truth as a powerful weapon against ignorance, misinformation, and lies.

Describes the role that collisions with meteors, comets, and asteroids have played in the history of Earth and other planets in the solar system and examines what is being done to protect Earth from future collisions.

The "Indiana Jones of Astronomy" takes readers on a fascinating hunt for scientific treasures at the major meteorite sites of the wild and desolate Russian interior. 16-page insert.