http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/11/071107-russia-crater.html

Almost a century after a mysterious explosion in Russia (http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/places/countries/country_russia.html) flattened a huge swath of Siberian forest, scientists have found what they believe is a crater made by the cosmic object that made the blast.

...

On June 30, 1908, a ball of fire exploded about 6 miles (10 kilometers) above the ground in the sparsely populated region, scientists say. The blast released 15 megatons of energy—about a thousand times that of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima—and flattened 770 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of forest.

Amazing.

Yes, it was a singular event in history, one which fortunately occurred far enough from human habitation.

And they never tried brewing that recipe of vodka again! :eek:

In Soviet Russia vodka drinks you.

I had heard about the 1908 event before, but had no idea there was this mystery behind it... with a lack of crater...

Which explains the kook show I once watched blaming one of Tesla's experiments for it.

mmm Vodka.

Yeah it is thought a comet was the culprit, due to the lack of any crater on the ground.
One of the most amazing things about this planet is its lack of craters.
Wind and water seem to make all but the most recent and gigantic disappear after a while.

Wind and water seem to make all but the most recent and gigantic disappear after a while.Our atmosphere also reduces most meteors to dust before they have a chance to strike the earth.

Neat article.

I went out to Google and homed in on the lake in question. I was expecting a more funnel shaped lake.

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=60.965,101.86&spn=0.3,0.3&t=k&q=60.965,101.86

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

Ok, I just learned something else ... the picture of all the trees knocked over from this site was taken TWENTY years after the event (1928).

Much more detail here (I found the link on the above one)

http://www.unmuseum.org/kulik.htm


edit: ahh $#%# Nazis

Kulik continued to work on the problem until, while fighting for his country in World War II, he was captured and died of typhus in a Nazi prison camp on April 24th, 1942.

Damn those Nazi's are their lack of health-care regulations!

They certainly are!

I hate you :/