2002 Eastern Mediterranean event

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Coordinates: 34°N 21°E﻿ / ﻿34°N 21°E﻿ / 34; 21

The 2002 Eastern Mediterranean Event was a high-energy upper atmosphere explosion over the Mediterranean Sea, around 34°N 21°E (between Libya and Crete) on June 6, 2002.[1] This explosion, similar in power to a small atomic bomb, has been related to a small asteroid undetected while approaching Earth. The object disintegrated in an air burst impact and no meteorite fragments were recovered. The air burst occurred over the sea.

The event occurred during the 2001–2002 India–Pakistan standoff, and there were concerns by General Simon Worden of the U.S. Air Force that if the upper atmosphere explosion had occurred closer to Pakistan or India, it could have sparked a nuclear war between the two countries.[2]

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  1. ^ "Speech by Gen. Simon Worden: "Military Perspectives on the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Threat"". SpaceRef. United States Space Command. 2002-07-15. Had you been situated on a vessel directly underneath the intensely bright flash would have been followed by a shock wave that would have rattled the entire ship and possibly caused minor damage. 
  2. ^ "Near-Earth Objects Pose Threat, General Says". Space Daily. 2002-09-17. Archived from the original on 2002-12-01.