Study on Taurid swarms: Earth is approaching the same "meteor swarm" that could have caused Tunguska's impact in 1908, when the entire forest in Russia exploded

A meteor swarm heading toward Earth could have a catastrophic impact, according to a new study from the University of Western Ontario. The so-called Taurid swarm is a recurring event that, according to some scientists, could have played a role in the greatest impact of modern times on Earth, in 1908, when a rock of space hit Siberia with enough force to destroy an entire forest.

What became known as Tunguska explosion of 1908 was so powerful that the blast destroyed 80 million trees over an area of ​​800 square miles. According to the University of Western Ontario, it is an event of one year out of 1,000. But if the Tunguska explosion occurred there is a little more than a century ago, another phenomenon of this type could occur much earlier than its life expectancy of 1,000 years, say the researchers. This is why they are focusing new attention on the Taurides swarm.

The Taurid Swarm is a dense group of meteors within the Taurid meteor shower. The Earth periodically crosses the Taurid swarm and is one of three spatial phenomena that can lead to a catastrophic collision. Near-Earth objects (NEO), such as asteroids and meteorites, and comets are the other two potential causes.

Illustration of the nucleus of Taurid swarms passing under the Earth. Scientists do not think that a catastrophic collision will occur this year, but they are delighted that the Taurides swarm be closer to home so that they can study it.

University of Western Ontario

The Taurid swarm is created when the Earth traverses the debris left by the comet Encke, according to NASA. The comet 's dust enters the Earth' s atmosphere at 100,000 km / h, burns down and creates a meteor shower. The taurid meteor shower is usually weak, but there are years when it is more visible, says NASA.

The Taurides swarm increases the possibility of a major collision, according to researchers at the University of Western Ontario.

Image of trees felled during the Tunguska explosion, an event that occurred in 1908, blamed on a huge asteroid or meteoroid impact.

Leonid Kulik Expedition

According to the study, the Earth will approach this summer 30 000 000 km from the center of the swarm of Taurides. This would be the closest encounter of Earth with the swarm since 1975 and the best opportunity to see it until the early 2030s.

This proximity will not only benefit observers, but it will also allow researchers to study the Taurides swarm and its potential risks.

"There is strong weather and NEO evidence to support the Taurid swarm and its potential existential hazards, but this summer provides a unique opportunity to observe and quantify these objects," he said. David Clark, graduate student of Western Ontario University and first author of the study.

Although the Taurid swarm is not expected to cause harm, researchers at the University of Western Ontario will study it closely using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope from the University of Hawaii in August. It is at this point that they will get optimal visualization to gather information – and hope to find out more about the swarm's ability to cause a repeat of the 1908 impact. .