The Tunguska Event
A ball of fire crossed the Siberian sky, and an area of forest bigger than a city was flattened.
What was reported
On the morning of 30 June 1908, people near the Podkamennaya Tunguska river saw a bright light cross the sky, followed by a blast that knocked people off their feet dozens of kilometres away. Around 80 million trees were flattened across roughly 2,000 square kilometres.
No expedition reached the site until 1927. Researchers found the trees laid out in a vast radial pattern, but no crater.
Explanations offered
Most scientists agree a meteoroid or small comet exploded in the air several kilometres above the ground, which explains the missing crater. The remote location and the long wait before anyone investigated left room for other theories that still circulate.
- When
- 30 June 1908
- Where
- Siberia, Russia
- Witnesses
- Villagers and herders
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.