# Chyba 1993: The 1908 Tunguska explosion: atmospheric disruption of a stony asteroid

> Christopher F. Chyba, Paul J. Thomas, Kevin J. Zahnle, 1993. 4 records on Mysteries Department cite it. The standard case for a stony asteroid.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D4EBXB00B7K/the-1908-tunguska-explosion-atmospheric-disruption-of-a  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  

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[Sources](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources)[1908 Tunguska event](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event)Chyba 1993

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# The 1908 Tunguska explosion: atmospheric disruption of a stony asteroid

Christopher F. Chyba, Paul J. Thomas, Kevin J. Zahnle, 1993. _Nature 361, 40–44_.

Models atmospheric entry and argues that a stony asteroid tens of metres across disrupts at the observed height, while comets and carbonaceous bodies burst too high and iron bodies reach the ground.

**1908 Tunguska event** Articledoi: **[10.1038/361040a0](https://doi.org/10.1038/361040a0)** Checked against the original0

## What it's used for here

The standard case for a stony asteroid.

## Cited by on this site 4 records

[A stony asteroid some 50–80 m across that broke up and exploded about 8.5 km up.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/answers/ANS0D4ECBZR58RW/a-stony-asteroid-some-5080-m-across-that-broke-up-and)

Answer

ANS

[Entry models have icy and carbonaceous bodies bursting higher than observed.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/evidence/EVD0D4ECDY84X1J/entry-models-have-icy-and-carbonaceous-bodies-bursting)

Evidence

EVD

[Entry models put the disruption of a stony body of this size at about the observed height.](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event/evidence/EVD0D4ECC7J58ME/entry-models-put-the-disruption-of-a-stony-body-of-this-size)

Evidence

EVD

[The 1908 Tunguska event](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tunguska-event)

The mystery article

MYS

## Cite it

```
Chyba, C. F., Thomas, P. J., & Zahnle, K. J. (1993). The 1908 Tunguska explosion: atmospheric disruption of a stony asteroid. Nature 361, 40–44. https://doi.org/10.1038/361040a0
```

[Find it at doi.org](https://doi.org/10.1038/361040a0)

Key

**SRC** 0D4EBXB00B7K

Kind

Journal article

Rights

The publisher's

Kept

27 Oct 2026, for editors

Checked

Against the published article

Added by

[apollo](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)

The record

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