
A large fireball was seen crossing the Siberian sky on June 20, 1908 before an eruption six miles above ground flattened trees (right) and left charred reindeer carcases. Italian scientists spent 21 years researching the so-called Tunguska event, claiming the blue-water Lake Cheko (left) filled a 'missing' impact crater - giving rise to the theory that the phenomenon was caused by a meteorite. But a new study by Russian geologists suggests the idea is flawed, meaning the huge blast - which lit up the night sky in Europe and even America - is still a mystery, according to reports in Moscow. Experts have not ruled out the possibility a meteorite caused the explosion and have yet to put forward an alternative reason. Outlandish theories in the past have included a massive volcanic eruption, a comet mainly composed of ice rather than solid space rock, a black hole colliding with Earth and even aliens shooting down a meteor from a UFO in order to save Earth.