45 ms·
> The ground around the immediate vicinity of Wanggongchang Armory, the epicenter of the explosion, had sunken for over 2 zhangs (about 6.5 m or 21 feet), but t
by appleflaxen 7y ago
> The ground around the immediate vicinity of Wanggongchang Armory, the epicenter of the explosion, had sunken for over 2 zhangs (about 6.5 m or 21 feet), but there was a notable lack of fire damage
it seems a bit improbable that a bolide would just so happen to hit the armory. Given that bolide events are rare to begin with, the low chance of hitting a military building is enough to make me skeptical.
I have no idea what contemporary chemical explosives were extant, but if there were any plausible agent I would favor that instead.
- catalogia 7y ago> I have no idea what contemporary chemical explosives were extant Only black-powder. Nitroglycerin, the first practical explosive more powerful than black-powder, was invented two centuries later.
- MawKKe 7y ago> it seems a bit improbable that a bolide would just so happen to hit the armory. Given that bolide events are rare to begin with, the low chance of hitting a military building is enough to make me skeptical. Well, isn't the probability of hitting the armory identical to that of hitting anywhere else on the planet?
- colanderman 7y agoYes, but the probability of hitting a place that contains many other explosive agents which could cause the same effect is far far lower than hitting anywhere else on the planet.
- ajuc 7y agoYes, and there's a very big number of things in the "anything else" category, and only very few things in the "armory" category. On the other hand explosive materials accidents happen where big amounts of explosive materials are stored, and there's few places in the "anything else than armory" category so the event is more likely.
- nl 7y agoAn airborne explosion of the bolide (which is the most popular hypothesis) could easily cause a secondary explosion in armory.