Coordinates: 34°N 21°E / 34, 21

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 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.

Similar to the Tunguska event, the asteroid — about 30ft (slightly over 9 m) in diameter — exploded in the air.^{[citation needed]} It was detected by satellites and seismographic stations, with a calculated yield of about 26 kilotons of TNT (approximately double the yield of the Hiroshima bomb, comparable to a small modern nuclear bomb). Had it burst on a populated area, the consequences would have been catastrophic.

Additionally, India and Pakistan — nations with nuclear weapons — were in the middle of a military standoff and on high alert. It has been said that had the explosion happened in this area (the position of the Eastern Mediterranean Event and the disputed Kashmir territory are in the same latitude), it could have been possibly taken for an attack, potentially triggering a nuclear war between these countries.^[1][2][3]

See also

• Tunguska event
• Vitim event
• Cando event
• Potentially hazardous asteroid
• Near Earth object
• Impact event

References

External links

• Speech by Gen. Simon Worden: "Military Perspectives on the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Threat"
• Eastern Mediterranean event
• Near-Earth objects pose threat