Free_Astronomy_-_SeptemberOctober_2019

SMALL BODIES 29

to a hypothetical cen-

ter, which the expedi-

tion was unable to

reach. The goal of

reaching the epicenter

was instead pursued

the following year,

with a new expedition

financed by the Acad-

emy of Sciences, and

was then again in

1929. On those occa-

sions, many cavities

and small depressions

were identified that

could have concealed

meteorite fragments,

but, despite multiple

excavations, no mete-

orite was ever found.

Kulik continued his ex-

ploratory activity until the final expeditions

of 1938 and 1939. Two years later he died

during the siege of Leningrad, and the war

would prevent other explorers from reach-

ing the epicenter.

The expeditions then resumed in the 1950 s

and there have been numerous additional

studies up to our current time, with new

studies still being organized. From the pio-

neering studies of Kulik, the overall picture

T

he growth of

the rings of

the few surviving

trees, found

within a few kilo-

meters of the

epicenter of the

Tunguska event,

shows a depres-

sion that begins

the year after the

event and contin-

ues for another

4 - 5 years. Below,

the area devas-

tated in 1908 as it

appears today.

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