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The 1908 Tunguska event in Siberia is still a puzzle for modern science.
What is the origin of the unusual phenomena occured in there? Opinions vary
from an asteroid (or a comet fall) to an alien spaceship explosion. I also
proposed an idea.
And what about the place where Tunguska occured? In reality there is no
such area, as Tunguska, as it is shortened name! Several names containing the
word exist. The area of the event is situated at 61 N, 102 E, in the Siberian
taiga (forest) in a corroded paleovolcano crater. So this area is rather
interesting even without Tunguska event!
Several pictures of Tunguska taken during late 1920s are rather
well-known. Modern pictures are lesser known. So I would like to show you
them, and even a picture of 'Tunguska meteorite'!
Unfortunately I have to place these and other pictures (see
explanation) to another www-page
http://olkhov.narod.ru/pictures.htm.
If the latter www-page is slow to download, below you can read a
part of a text of the old version of this (i.e. Geocities www-page) without
pictures. There are already more pictures at the linked www-page.
1.Tunguska 'meteorite'!
Yes, I am not joking: it is the only known drawing by eyewitness of so-called
'Tunguska meteorite' in flight! It was by T.N. Naumenko from Kezshma (about
214 km to the SSE from the Tunguska epicenter), who described the 'meteorite'
as a luminous moon-sized cloud. His account is often quoted as one of the
main arguments for 'Tunguska meteorite', but his sketch is practically unknown.
I have discovered it in the 1941 year issue of METEORITIKA, and reproduced in my
publications, including my book on Tunguska. If you look at the picture, you
will understand why it was quickly 'forgotten' by supporters of the 'Tunguska
meteorite'.
2.Tunguska 'crater'(photo by V. Romeiko).
When Kulik saw the depression, later named after his helper Suslov, he became
sure that the meteorite fragment fell here. But no any meteorite fragment were
discovered in this and other similar smaller depressions. Today it is generally
accepted that the depressions are thermokarsts, i.e. due to permafrost melt
(you can read details here)
. The problem for the meteorite interpretation of the Tunguska is that
there are some evidences that the depressions were formed in about 1908.
3.Tunguska - 95(photo by S.Ipatov).
You can see some participants of the Tunguska-95 International conference
visiting the Tunguska epicenter. On the foreground (from the right to the left)
the first person is Dr. Mark E. Bailey, the third (the tallest) Dr. S.V.M. Clube.
The 'leftest' (with a beard) is Wilgelm Fast. Also you can see me, the
'rightest' man sitting on background.
5.A river in taiga.
This photo by Sergei Ipatov shows how nice is taiga at the Tunguska epicenter.
But please, remember, that mosquitos can't be pictured this way!
8.Again 'Tunguska meteorite' (photo by V. Romeiko).
This stone was discovered in 1972 by John F. Anfinogenov. It is a terrestrial
stone, but there are some problems with its appearence in the Tunguska
epicenter. You can read about the stone (used to be called the John's stone)
at abstracts by Anfinogenov et at., and B. Golubov..
9.The mute witnesses of the Tunguska event (photo by V. Romeiko).
These are the rare survived remnants of trees fallen during Tunguska. They are
rather popular and many visitors of the epicenter take their photoes.
11.A nice view of Churgim creek (photo by V. Romeiko).
It is said that before the Tunguska, the creek (which is in the epicentral
area) was very weak and used to dry up in summer.
12.Tunguska in snow.
This unusual picture of Tunguska was taken in November 1999 during a
visit of Japanese TV crew into the epicenter. You can see a helicopter,
on which participants flew from Krasnoyarsk (about 800 km). Pictures
12-22 were supplied by Boris Bidyukov.
13.Grand Tunguska.
Another winter picture of Tunguska in November 1999 during the visit of
Japanese TV crew into the epicenter. It was taken from the helicopter.
This picture is one of my favorites. I hope you will appreciate it too.
14.A captured river.
In November 1999 Ugakita river in Tunguska was covered with ice already.
15.Cold Mystery
Looking at this November Tunguska picture, can you imagine how did
L. Kulik investigate Tunguska in late 1920s for some time alone (and
a frost was as strong as -56 C) ?
16.Chamba river in mid-November, 1999
One more interesting pictire of a near-epicenter river.
17.Stranger in Tunguska
No, he isn't a local resident. He is Mr. Takashi Tachibana, leader of TBS
group, standing of the bank of Khushma river near the epicenter!
18.Northern swamp in mid-November, 1999
Majority of Tunguska investigators doesn't see the swamp near the epicenter
in such shape. A winter is practically the only time of an year, when
it is possible to drive through taiga due to frozen ground. Such road is called
'zimnik'.
19.Forest-fall of fire origin in mid-November, 1999
This
forest-fall (16 km from the epicenter) has no
relation to the 1908 event. From this picture it is clear how difficult to
investigate Tunguska nowadays, as many fresh forest-falls from fires
superimpose on the 1908's one.
20.The northern swamp
This swamp is near the epicenter. The picture taken in the mid-November
1999 from a helicopter.
21.Ukshinskii porog (rapids)
The rapids on Chamba river, not far from the epicenter were pictured
by S.Krivakov in 1996. You can see a characteristic detail of many
Siberian rivers - majority of rapids.
22.Restaurant "Tungusskii Gurman" is closed!
On picture 3 you already could see this place for taking meals in the
Tunguska epicenter. Here you can see it empty and under snow cover in
mid-November 1999. Picture by B.Bidyukov.
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