2002 Eastern Mediterranean event
The Eastern Mediterranean Event was a high-energy aerial explosion over the Mediterranean Sea, around 34°N 21°E (between Libya and Crete, Greece) on June 6th, 2002.[1] This explosion, similar in power to a small atomic bomb, has been related to an asteroid undetected while approaching the Earth. The object disintegrated and no part was recovered. Since it did not reach the surface and it exploded over the sea, no crater was formed.
The event occurred during the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff, and there were concerns that a similar explosion could have sparked a nuclear war between the two countries, had the timing been different, which would have devastated both regions, causing deaths numbering over 10 million.[2]
See also
- Tunguska event
- Vitim event
- Cando event
- Potentially hazardous asteroid
- Near Earth object
- Impact event
References
- ^ "Speech by Gen. Simon Worden: "Military Perspectives on the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Threat"". United States Space Command. Retrieved 2009-02-26.
Had you been situated on a vessel directly underneath the intensely bright flash would have been followed by a shock wave that would have rattled the entire ship and possibly caused minor damage.
- ^ "Near-Earth Objects Pose Threat, General Says"