Suddenly; ROCKS FROM SPACE

[skull_bearer]

I was talking with friends about the possibility of a Tunguska style event with this asteroid that's passing by us around nowish, and migth be back in fifteen years time for an direct hit, as the rock in question is about the same size. I always found Tunguska a pretty fascinating phenomenon considering it hit one of the few places on earth where it not only didn't cause much damage, but also wasn't really noticed until years later, being a random part of pretty uninhabited Siberia. It's of interest to alternate history buffs because if it had hit six hours later it would have annihilated St Petersburg at roughly the same time the Tsar was visiting.

Anyway, we ended up discussing the places it might hit today, for maximum entertainment value (with the consideration we know about it and would have fifteen years to prepare). Vatican City (oddly the next day the pope resigned, maybe he knew something we didn't), New York (because everything happens to New York), Isreal (which would make the theory that the Jewish God is a massive arsehole completely legitimate) or North Korea (where it would be the best thing to hit North Korea in several decades).

Now: Meteorite explodes over the Russian Urals.

The fuck? Luckily as with Tunguska it appears to have the same deathcount: none. But two people are in intensive care. Unlike Tunguska, we're getting a lot of mobile phone footage (something which was distinctly lacking in Random Siberian Forest 1908)

No, seriously, the fuck?

Comments

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Heh! A lesson in "be careful what you wish for"? Should've hit the damn Vatican, if you ask me.

[shadowvalkyrie.livejournal.com]

Also, you would hit Russia too, if you were an asteroid; it's simply too bloody big to miss. ;)

[zoeiona.livejournal.com]

I love the lesson it's given us in the power of pure coincidence - soooo many people wondering if the meteor was a bit of the asteroid when, not... And the incredible luck of this latest strike is just outstanding. The place it hit was a very short distance, in the grand scheme of things, from Lake Karachay, the single most polluted spot on Earth. We could have had radioactive dust in the atmosphere so very, very easily.