Flashback 2019: Earth is Approaching the Same “Meteor Swarm” That May Have Caused an Entire Forest to Explode in 1908

• Flashback 2019: Earth is Approaching the Same “Meteor Swarm” That May Have Caused an Entire Forest to Explode in 1908
  by CAITLIN O’KANE, 12 June 2019, https://www.cbsnews.com/
  A swarm of meteors heading toward Earth could have the potential to cause a catastrophic impact, a new study from Western Ontario University says. The so-called Taurid swarm is a recurring event that some scientists believe could have played a role in the biggest Earth impact of modern times, in 1908, when a space rock slammed into Siberia with enough force to destroy an entire forest.
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  What has become known as the Tunguska explosion of 1908 was so powerful that the blast leveled 80 million trees over an 800-square-mile area. It’s considered to be a one-in-1,000-year event, according to Western Ontario University. But while the Tunguska explosion occurred just over a century ago, another such phenomenon could occur much sooner than its 1,000-year expectancy, the researchers say. That’s why they’re focusing new attention on the Taurid swarm.
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  The Taurid swarm is a dense cluster of meteors within the Taurid meteor stream. Earth periodically passes through the Taurid swarm, and it is one of the three space phenomenons that could result in a catastrophic collision. Near Earth Objects (NEOs) such as asteroids and meteoroids, as well as comets are the other two potential causes.
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• Earth Is Now Approaching The Same ‘Meteor Swarm’ That Wiped-Out A Siberian Forest
  by Jamie Carter, 11 June 2019, https://www.forbes.com/
  Our solar system is a dangerous place, and this month Earth inches closer to one of its riskier places, the “Taurid swarm” of meteors. It’s a theorized vast cloud of debris and possibly large objects, leftover from a massive comet’s disintegration, that is suspected of causing catastrophic collision events in the past. According to Western Meteor Physics Group’s data analysis, Earth is now approaching within 30,000,000 km of its center, the closest such encounter since 1975.
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  There is no imminent threat of bombardment by meteors for now, but astronomers want to know if it could be a problem, particularly when Earth passes directly through the meteor swarm in November 2032.
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  Why is Earth close to the ‘Taurid swarm’?
  Earth passes relatively close to the Taurid swarm twice per year. The events produce the Beta Taurids meteor shower from June 5 to July 18, and then the North and South Taurids meteor showers in late October. These aren’t going to be dangerous events in 2019, but Earth’s closeness is critically important because our planet is predicted to pass directly through the “Taurid swarm” in November 2032. There are reasons to suggest that we need to be ready for something serious … meanwhile, the North and South Taurids in late October and early November could be worth watching for large fireballs.
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