Meteoroid explosion in Russia

N_Molson

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
9,271
Reaction score
3,244
Points
203
Location
Toulouse
Meteor shower over Russia

Early this morning, a meteor shower caused violent explosions in the lower atmosphere over Russia. One exploded over Tcheliabinsk. Windows were blown in several places. It seems that a meteor chunk even hit the ground. Witnesses have reported light trails over Tcheliabinsk and Sverdlovsk. In Ekaterinburg, people report that an object fell from the sky. According to the governement, several people were wounded by windows debris in a school of Tcheliabinsk.
 

steph

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
1,393
Reaction score
713
Points
113
Location
Vendee, France

N_Molson

Addon Developer
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Mar 5, 2010
Messages
9,271
Reaction score
3,244
Points
203
Location
Toulouse
why does all the meteoroid stuff have to happen in far Russia?

Because Russia is a significant proportion of the emerged landmass on Earth. Statistics, it has very little probability to happen over Vatican. ;)
 

steph

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
1,393
Reaction score
713
Points
113
Location
Vendee, France
Apparently Russia Today already made a compilation with films. By the looks of it, if the flash had been brighter, it could have set objects on fire. Just unbelievably bright.

 

SiberianTiger

News Sifter
News Reporter
Donator
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
5,398
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Khimki
Website
tigerofsiberia.livejournal.com
http://en.rian.ru/science/20130215/179481989/Meteors-Injure-Over-150-in-Chelyabinsk-Region.html

Meteors Injure Over 150 in Chelyabinsk Region

11:10 15/02/2013

MOSCOW, February 15 (RIA Novosti) – More than 150 people have sought medical help in one of three Russian regions hit by a meteorite shower on Friday, the Interior Ministry reported.

Dozens of people suffered cuts from broken glass as the meteorites smashed windows in numerous buildings across the Chelyabinsk Region, but “no-one suffered serious injuries,” the Interior Ministry said.

The meteorite shower hit three regions of Russia, and Kazakhstan, Russian state officials confirmed on Friday,

The police are searching for the fallen meteorite pieces and protecting affected buildings from looting.

Reports are inconclusive about whether the storm was caused by was one large meteorite, or several smaller ones.

Residents of three villages in the Sverdlovsk region reported witnessing the shower, but no-one there was injured.
 

SiberianTiger

News Sifter
News Reporter
Donator
Joined
Feb 13, 2008
Messages
5,398
Reaction score
8
Points
0
Location
Khimki
Website
tigerofsiberia.livejournal.com
Video of a warehouse door smashed in by a shockwave:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=bvJKoQE8uwE#!

A building destroyed by a shockwave as well:

01.jpg


02.jpg


03.jpg

1360906908_0722.720x540.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Codz

NEA Scout Wrencher
Donator
Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
3,586
Reaction score
1
Points
61
Location
Huntsville, AL
Preferred Pronouns
He/Him
Wow. I'm glad nobody was seriously injured or killed.
 

Sky Captain

New member
Joined
Jan 29, 2009
Messages
945
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Wow that's spectacular blast! I would love to see something like that in person. I think this is the strongest airburst over a populated area in recent decades. Must have been several kilotons worth of boom if it generated shock wave capable of breaking windows many km away.

Could it be that this small asteorid was a piece broken off from that 50 m asteorid passing Earth today?
 

steph

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
1,393
Reaction score
713
Points
113
Location
Vendee, France
I guess it's possible. Certainly looks suspicious, a bit too much of a coincidence. Anyway, it's a full on airburst, with big fragments hitting the ground and all the other bells&whistles. I'm surprised the media still calls it a "meteor shower".
This thing was just epic.

[ame="http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0d4_1360909480"]LiveLeak.com - Sonic Boom Rocks Russian Neighborhood[/ame]
 

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,588
Reaction score
2,312
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
Would those radars spotted it if it came from favorable direction?

Yes, very likely. But they would also not have been able to produce any meaningful warning.

The meteoroid was not very large, maybe of the size of a washing machine before entering the atmosphere, large enough to detect it. It looks spectacular and causes a lot of damage, but the final pictures of the meteor after the break-up event and the explosion look like the meteorite was not bigger than a human head then.
 

garyw

O-F Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Addon Developer
Tutorial Publisher
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
10,485
Reaction score
209
Points
138
Location
Kent
Website
blog.gdwnet.com
Could it be that this small asteorid was a piece broken off from that 50 m asteorid passing Earth today?

Not at all.

This is pure coincidence we've all been looking at 2012 DA14 when this unknown one snuck up and sideswipped us. Good thing it wasn't any bigger otherwise this could have been a bad day.
 

Urwumpe

Not funny anymore
Addon Developer
Donator
Joined
Feb 6, 2008
Messages
37,588
Reaction score
2,312
Points
203
Location
Wolfsburg
Preferred Pronouns
Sire
Just looked at the maps, if the meteor happened only a bit more than an hour later, it would have passed directly over Moscow.
 

Artlav

Aperiodic traveller
Addon Developer
Beta Tester
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
5,789
Reaction score
778
Points
203
Location
Earth
Website
orbides.org
Preferred Pronouns
she/her
Is there something special about the composition of an airbursting meteor, like it's made of ice?
Or would any kind of the right size going at the right speed and angle fall apart like that before reaching the surface?

Just looked at the maps, if the meteor happened only a bit more than an hour later, it would have passed directly over Moscow.
Yeah, there are a lot of jokes there already about _somebody_ having a really bad aim.
 
Last edited:

garyw

O-F Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Addon Developer
Tutorial Publisher
Joined
May 14, 2008
Messages
10,485
Reaction score
209
Points
138
Location
Kent
Website
blog.gdwnet.com
Is there something special about the composition of an airbursting meteor, like it's made of ice?
Or would any kind of the right size going at the right speed and angle fall apart like that before reaching the surface?

As I understand it, an airburst from a meteor is more likely to happen than it simply impacting the ground intact simply due to the shock heating as it screams into the atmosphere.
 
Top