Comments | mckitterick: Massive meteor or small asteroid crashes into Russia; another asteroid passes by later today.

mckitterick

Massive meteor or small asteroid crashes into Russia; another asteroid passes by later today.

Feb 15, 2013 11:50

First up, breaking news:

Early this morning, local time in the Ural region of Western Russia (just after midnight in these parts), near the cities of Chelyabinsk and Yekaterinburg, a bus-sized meteor estimated to weigh about 10 tons streaked across the sky as bright as a welding-arc, entering the atmosphere at 33,000 mph and then fragmenting in a ( Read more... )

save the world, future of the earth, astronomy

Comments 19

desperance February 15 2013, 17:58:47 UTC

This huge meteor or small asteroid has no relation to Asteroid 2012 DA14

And yet the headline on the video you link to? Says "Asteroid 2012 DA14 Hit Russia". Sigh...

mckitterick February 16 2013, 00:57:18 UTC

I know... *sigh*

tully01 February 15 2013, 18:47:08 UTC

Wow. You can tell from the split contrail that the major brightness boost was the meteor breaking into at least two pieces, exposing fresh surface as it bburned through. Between the flare and the sonic boom and any impact shockwave that HAD to be a hair-raiser of a surprise.

Given that DA14 is passing Earth in the daytime (for us) in about 45 minutes from now and over the other side of the globe, we're not going to be seeing it from the Plains. :( But I'm sure there's going to be some good footage.

mckitterick February 16 2013, 00:58:42 UTC

Exactly! Can you imagine that? When the sunny side of things suddenly was cast into shadow from that meteor? WHOAH.

Oh, I can't wait to see the asteroid pass-by video! It'll be better than any of us could make, anyhow.

silverfae February 15 2013, 18:55:44 UTC

Here's an interesting article as well, if you, like me, have wondered, "Why do all these Russians have dash cams?"

silverfae February 15 2013, 19:01:24 UTC

Also.. here's a great one with the sonic boom:

tully01 February 15 2013, 19:09:32 UTC

I was thinking that too. Why all the dash cams?

silverfae February 15 2013, 19:32:20 UTC

From the article, I'm beginning to wonder if we won't see this more and more in America, as well.
With our litigious society, we might all end up wearing headcams!

Thread 9

tully01 February 15 2013, 19:11:29 UTC

Livestream from NAS/JPL

http://www.ustream.tv/nasajpl2

mckitterick February 16 2013, 00:59:43 UTC

Just got home from work... watching now....

hdsqrl February 15 2013, 20:28:45 UTC

Whoa. Crazy!!!

mckitterick February 16 2013, 01:00:16 UTC

Isn't it, though? Big Astro News!