Vitim event

Contents

1 History

1.1 Event
1.2 Consequences
1.3 Expeditions

2 Kosmopoisk research

2.1 Expedition VITIM-2003
2.2 Planned expeditions

3 External links

4 Reference

History

Event

The Vitim event or Bodaybo event is the supposed fall of a big extraterrestial object (probably a meteorite or comet nucleus) that occurred in the basin of Vitim River and near the town of Bodaybo in the Mamsko-Chuisky district of Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia, Russia on September 25, 2002, about 10 p.m. (local time). The event was also detected by a US anti-missile defense military satellite.

Some attempts were made to define the magnitude of the explosion. US military analists think about 0.2–0.5 kilotonnes, Russian physicist Andrey Olkhovatov computations show something about 4–5 kilotonnes

Information about the event appeared in mass-media and among scientists after only a week. Firstly no one was able to understand the magnitude of the explosion. A small expedition, sent by Institut of Sun-Earth Physics (Irkutsk), tried to find a 'meteorite' within about 10 km from Bodaybo town (people told them — 'it has fallen after the nearest mountain!'). At first scientists tried to find only a meteorite, without analyzing any other ideas about the nature of the event, and they tried to prevent the information about it from appearing in mass-media.

Some people suggest that this phenomenon is similar to the Tunguska event of 1908.

Consequences

Vitim event consequences were strange for a usual meteorite fall. There were northern lights, increased radioactivity, and a mysterious Antonov An-2 plane crash deep in the taiga. There was also an increase of unknown diseases in Mamsko-Chuyski region near Vitim river.

Expeditions

1st — Russian MChS(Emergency Rescue) team tried to find an object near Bodaybo

2nd — Oct 2002, expedition of Irkutsk University(leader S. Yazev). It was more a tourist trip, than a scientific expedition.

Official expeditions, performed in 2002-2003 haven't reached the center of events, situated in a remote Siberian taiga, for 2 reasons:

1. Distance/weather conditions

2. Incorrect tracing of its path, and impact point data provided by USA IR-Recon satellite

Kosmopoisk research

Expedition VITIM-2003

In May 2003 an expedition, performed by Kosmopoisk (leader — V. Chernobrov) reached the presumed impact point (about 50 km from Vitimskiy settle point). The situation there looked similar to that of the Tunguska river after Tunguska event in 1908. Examples of snow and water, taken in this place, were analyzed later. They contained an abnormal amount of tritium and radioactive isotopes of cobalt and caesium.

Photo of the impact site, made from a Mil Mi-8 helicopter by Kosmopoisk

Summing up all the information, gathered in the expedition, Dr. V.A. Chernobrov suggested, that Vitim event could be caused by a falling of a comet nucleus with a diameter about 50–100 meters

Planned expeditions

In 2005, a multi-profile scientific expedition is planned by Kosmopoisk.

If the 'comet theory' is right, Dr. Chernobrov's expedition members were the first humans to have physical contact with a comet nucleus matter. This may be scientifically proved or disproved after an ESA station successfully makes a landing at the Churyumov-Gerasimenko comet in 2014.

External links

Reference

Report and a summary of results of VITIM-2003 expedition can be read (in Russian) here:

Report of V.Chernobrov, A.Soleny, M.Lorenc; 2003

E.A. Kasatkina and O.I. Shumilov, "Some atmospheric and magnetospheric effects possibly related to the Vitim bolide impact"

Categories: Impact events