Explosion Over Siberian Town Not From Meteor? Russian Astronomers Confirm No Meteors Detected

A sudden flash across the skies bathe the Republic of Khakassia in light. The night sky turned into daytime after which an explosion boomed so loud it activated the alarms of the cars in the area. Many believed it was a meteor that caused the sudden flash and explosion. But now, Russian astronomers have reported to not detecting the incoming meteor. This new information sparks speculation that it might not be a meteor but something else as Russian government agencies are keeping silent about the incident.

The Siberian town of Sayanogorsk had the best seat in the house as the "meteor" flew over the skies, bathing the town in bright light. According to the eyewitnesses, the light was bright but not as bright as light during daytime. It lasted for 30 seconds before it dimmed and a boom or explosion sound was heard.

Many captured the event as a rare phenomenon. One video was from a dash cam of a car where the dark highway suddenly lit up as the meteor flew over the sky. Another one was of children skating in a local park as the meteor flashed above. After 40-60 seconds, eyewitnesses said a loud boom was heard.

Meteorite today in Khakassia, Russia pic.twitter.com/CrpbaYlUVS

— English Russia (@EnglishRussia1) December 6, 2016

According to a leading Russian space scientist, the presumed meteor could be around 10 to 15 meters in diameter. Natan Eismont of the Space Research Institute (IKI) of Russian Academy of Sciences adds that the meteor is not made up of iron as it quickly burned out then exploded, he tells TASS. It did not pose any kind of threat as confirmed by the reports that locals and region's infrastructures remained unaffected by the meteor explosion.

The Emergencies Ministry said it was a meteor that burned up and exploded in the sky. There was no reported damage to the ground. However, speculation aroused as this statement from the Emergencies Ministry was suddenly deleted, as reported by Siberian Times. The local news agency also adds that no explanation was given by the Emergencies Ministry regarding the retracted statement.

Now Russian astronomers report that they failed to detect the meteor due to lack of observatories in the region in and around Sayanogorsk. Sergei Maslikov, director of the Novosibirsk Planetarium, adds that meteors crashing on Earth is normal and poses no threat to human settlements as they mostly crash on oceans and deep forests.

Many feel that the various explanations regarding the meteor are a way for the Russian government to cover up something. Many think it was a top secret military weapon test that has gone awry. Others think it was just space junk while more are thinking it was a piece of alien technology that exploded. The continued silence of the Russian government agencies is fueling these various speculations.