Chelyabinsk meteor: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 55°09′00″N 61°24′36″E / 55.150°N 61.410°E / 55.150; 61.410
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On 15 February 2013, an [[Near-Earth asteroids|asteroid]]<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="arXiv" /><ref name="Rincon" /> entered Earth's atmosphere over [[Russia]] at about 09:20 [[Yekaterinburg Time|YEKT]] (03:20 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]).<ref name="NASA2">{{cite web |last=Agle |first=D. C. |title=Russia Meteor Not Linked to Asteroid Flyby |work=NASA news |publisher=NASA |date=13 February 2013 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/asteroid20130215.html |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/15/russia-meteorite/1921991/ |title=Meteor in central Russia injures at least 500 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=100 injured by meteorite falls in Russian Urals |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22596238/100-injured-by-meteorite-falls-russian-urals |publisher=Mercury News |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Major">{{cite web |last=Major |first=Jason |publisher=Universe Today |title=Meteor Blast Rocks Russia |url=http://www.universetoday.com/99982/meteor-blasts-rock-russia/ |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> With an estimated speed of 18&nbsp;km/s (40,000&nbsp;mph),<ref name="NASA2" /> the [[meteor]] became a brilliant [[superbolide]] over the southern [[Ural (region)|Ural region]].<ref name="IAUCBET3423">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iau/cbet/003400/CBET003423.txt |publisher=International Astronomical Union |work=Astronomical Telegrams |title=CBET 3423 : 20130223 : Trajectory and Orbit of the Chelyabinsk Superbolide |date=2013-02-23 |archiveurl=http://www.webalice.it/mizar02/articoli/Meteorb.dat |archivedate=2013-02-23}}{{registration required}}</ref> It exploded in an [[air burst]] over [[Chelyabinsk Oblast]] at about {{convert|15|to|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} above the ground,<ref name="NASA2" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/Watch%20the%20Skies/posts/post_1360985685055.html |title=Orbit of the Russian Meteor | work=NASA blogs | date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=17 February 2013 |first=William |last=Cooke }}</ref> creating small fragmentary [[meteorite]]s and a powerful [[shock wave]]. The atmosphere absorbed most of the released energy,<ref name="RT-284">{{cite news |title=Meteor threat wasn’t expected for another 2,000 years – Russian Emergency Minister |date=22 February 2013 |url=http://rt.com/news/meteor-attack-not-expected-284/ |work=Russia Today |accessdate=22 February 2013}}</ref> which was equivalent to nearly 500 [[TNT equivalent|kilotons of TNT]] {{nowrap|(2.1 [[Joule|PJ]]),}}<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="RT-283">{{cite news | url=http://rt.com/news/meteorite-crash-urals-chelyabinsk-283/ | title=Meteorite hits Russian Urals: Fireball explosion wreaks havoc, up to 1,200 injured (PHOTOS, VIDEO) | publisher=[[RT (TV Network)|RT]] | date=15 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="RT-337">{{cite web | url=http://rt.com/news/scientists-explain-chelyabinsk-bolide-337/ | title=Russian meteorite blast explained: Fireball explosion equal to 20 Hiroshimas | publisher=[[RT (TV Network)|RT]] | date=15 February 2013}}</ref> 20–30 times more powerful than each of the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombs detonated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="RT-283" /><ref name="RT-337" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9874662/Russian-meteor-hit-atmosphere-with-force-of-30-Hiroshima-bombs.html |title=Russian meteor hit atmosphere with force of 30 Hiroshima bombs |publisher=The Telegraph |date=16 February 2013 |accessdate=16 February 2013 }}</ref>
On 15 February 2013, an [[Near-Earth asteroids|asteroid]]<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="arXiv" /><ref name="Rincon" /> entered Earth's atmosphere over [[Russia]] at about 09:20 [[Yekaterinburg Time|YEKT]] (03:20 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]).<ref name="NASA2">{{cite web |last=Agle |first=D. C. |title=Russia Meteor Not Linked to Asteroid Flyby |work=NASA news |publisher=NASA |date=13 February 2013 |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/asteroids/news/asteroid20130215.html |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/02/15/russia-meteorite/1921991/ |title=Meteor in central Russia injures at least 500 |work=[[USA Today]] |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=100 injured by meteorite falls in Russian Urals |url=http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_22596238/100-injured-by-meteorite-falls-russian-urals |publisher=Mercury News |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="Major">{{cite web |last=Major |first=Jason |publisher=Universe Today |title=Meteor Blast Rocks Russia |url=http://www.universetoday.com/99982/meteor-blasts-rock-russia/ |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> With an estimated speed of 18&nbsp;km/s (40,000&nbsp;mph),<ref name="NASA2" /> the [[meteor]] became a brilliant [[superbolide]] over the southern [[Ural (region)|Ural region]].<ref name="IAUCBET3423">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iau/cbet/003400/CBET003423.txt |publisher=International Astronomical Union |work=Astronomical Telegrams |title=CBET 3423 : 20130223 : Trajectory and Orbit of the Chelyabinsk Superbolide |date=2013-02-23 |archiveurl=http://www.webalice.it/mizar02/articoli/Meteorb.dat |archivedate=2013-02-23}}{{registration required}}</ref> It exploded in an [[air burst]] over [[Chelyabinsk Oblast]] at about {{convert|15|to|25|km|mi|abbr=on}} above the ground,<ref name="NASA2" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://blogs.nasa.gov/cm/blog/Watch%20the%20Skies/posts/post_1360985685055.html |title=Orbit of the Russian Meteor | work=NASA blogs | date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=17 February 2013 |first=William |last=Cooke }}</ref> creating small fragmentary [[meteorite]]s and a powerful [[shock wave]]. The atmosphere absorbed most of the released energy,<ref name="RT-284">{{cite news |title=Meteor threat wasn’t expected for another 2,000 years – Russian Emergency Minister |date=22 February 2013 |url=http://rt.com/news/meteor-attack-not-expected-284/ |work=Russia Today |accessdate=22 February 2013}}</ref> which was equivalent to nearly 500 [[TNT equivalent|kilotons of TNT]] {{nowrap|(2.1 [[Joule|PJ]]),}}<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="RT-283">{{cite news | url=http://rt.com/news/meteorite-crash-urals-chelyabinsk-283/ | title=Meteorite hits Russian Urals: Fireball explosion wreaks havoc, up to 1,200 injured (PHOTOS, VIDEO) | publisher=[[RT (TV Network)|RT]] | date=15 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="RT-337">{{cite web | url=http://rt.com/news/scientists-explain-chelyabinsk-bolide-337/ | title=Russian meteorite blast explained: Fireball explosion equal to 20 Hiroshimas | publisher=[[RT (TV Network)|RT]] | date=15 February 2013}}</ref> 20–30 times more powerful than each of the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombs detonated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki]].<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="RT-283" /><ref name="RT-337" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9874662/Russian-meteor-hit-atmosphere-with-force-of-30-Hiroshima-bombs.html |title=Russian meteor hit atmosphere with force of 30 Hiroshima bombs |publisher=The Telegraph |date=16 February 2013 |accessdate=16 February 2013 }}</ref>
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About 1,500 people were injured,<ref name="top" /> two seriously. All of the injuries were due to indirect effects rather than the meteor itself, mainly by glass from windows shattered by the [[shock wave]].<ref name="RT-283" /> Over 4,300 buildings in six cities across the region were damaged by the explosion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marson |first=James |title=Meteorite Hits Russia, Causing Panic |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324162304578305163574597722.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories |publisher=Wall Street Journal |accessdate=15 February 2013 |first2=Gautam |last2=Naik }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ewait |first=David |title=Exploding Meteorite Injures A Thousand People in Russia |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2013/02/15/exploding-meteorite-injures-a-thousand-people-in-russia/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter |publisher=Forbes |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The meteor created a dazzling light, bright enough to cast moving shadows during the morning daylight in [[Chelyabinsk]] and was observed from [[Sverdlovsk Oblast|Sverdlovsk]], [[Tyumen Oblast|Tyumen]], [[Orenburg Oblast]]s, the [[Republic of Bashkortostan]], and in [[Kazakhstan]]. Eyewitnesses also felt intense heat from the fireball.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian Meteor strike eyewitnesses speak |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Iq2h2DIqt8 |date=15 February 2013 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=15 February 2013 |quote=In Russian, with translation voiceover in English}}</ref>


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About 1,500 people were injured,<ref name="top" /> two seriously. All of the injuries were due to indirect effects rather than the meteor itself, mainly by glass from windows shattered by the [[shock wave]].<ref name="RT-283" /> Over 4,300 buildings in six cities across the region were damaged by the explosion.<ref>{{cite web |last=Marson |first=James |title=Meteorite Hits Russia, Causing Panic |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324162304578305163574597722.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories |publisher=Wall Street Journal |accessdate=15 February 2013 |first2=Gautam |last2=Naik }}</ref><ref name="forbes">{{cite web |last=Ewait |first=David |title=Exploding Meteorite Injures A Thousand People in Russia |url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2013/02/15/exploding-meteorite-injures-a-thousand-people-in-russia/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter |publisher=Forbes |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The meteor created a dazzling light, bright enough to cast moving shadows during the morning daylight in [[Chelyabinsk]] and was observed from [[Sverdlovsk Oblast|Sverdlovsk]], [[Tyumen Oblast|Tyumen]], [[Orenburg Oblast]]s, the [[Republic of Bashkortostan]], and in [[Kazakhstan]]. Eyewitnesses also felt intense heat from the fireball.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian Meteor strike eyewitnesses speak |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Iq2h2DIqt8 |date=15 February 2013 |publisher=YouTube |accessdate=15 February 2013 |quote=In Russian, with translation voiceover in English}}</ref>
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With an estimated initial mass of 10,000 tonnes,<ref name="NASA2" /> the Chelyabinsk meteor is the largest object to have entered Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 [[Tunguska event]], and the only meteor known to have resulted in a large number of injuries.<ref name="NATURE NEWS">{{cite web |last=Brumfiel |first=Geoff |title=Russian meteor largest in a century |url=http://www.nature.com/news/russian-meteor-largest-in-a-century-1.12438 |publisher=Nature |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The object had not been detected before [[atmospheric entry]].<ref name="today1">{{cite web |url=http://www.today.com/video/today/50820935 |title=Neil deGrasse Tyson: Radar could not detect meteor |work=Today |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref>

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The predicted close approach of the roughly {{nowrap|30-metre}} asteroid {{mpl|2012 DA|14}} occurred about 15 hours later. [[Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory]],<ref name="Kaira">{{cite web |url=http://kaira.sgo.fi/2013/02/are-2012-da14-and-chelyabinsk-meteor.html |title=Are {{mp|2012 DA|14}} and the Chelyabinsk meteor related? |publisher=Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 |location=[[Finland|FI]] }}</ref> Russian sources,<ref name="Elenin">{{cite web |date=15 February 2013 |title=Siberian fireball (video) |first=Leonid |last=Elenin |authorlink=Leonid Elenin |url=http://spaceobs.org/en/2013/02/15/siberian-fireball/ | work=SpaceObs | language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> the [[European Space Agency]]<ref name="ESA">{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Russian_asteroid_strike |title=Russian Asteroid Strike |work=ESA.int |accessdate=16 February 2013 }}</ref> and [[NASA]]<ref name="NASA2" /> indicated the two objects could not have been [[#Coincidental asteroid approach|related]] because the two asteroids involved had widely different trajectories.
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With an estimated initial mass of 10,000 tonnes,<ref name="NASA2" /> the Chelyabinsk meteor is the largest object<ref name="nature-12438">{{cite web |last=Brumfiel |first=Geoff |title=Russian meteor largest in a century |url=http://www.nature.com/news/russian-meteor-largest-in-a-century-1.12438 |publisher=Nature | doi=10.1038/nature.2013.12438 | date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> to have entered Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 [[Tunguska event]], and the only meteor known to have resulted in a large number of injuries<ref name="forbes" /> except for the Great Madrid Meteor of 1896 Feb 10.<ref>{{cite journal |work=Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific |title=Explosion of an Aerolite in Madrid (February 10, 1896) |department=Notices from the Lick Observatory |year=1896 |volume=8 |issue=47 |pages=86-87 |url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/1896PASP....8...86C |quote=Many injuries resulted resulted from the panic which broke out... Much damage was done by the force of the concussion.}}</ref>. The object had not been detected before [[atmospheric entry]].<ref name="today1">{{cite web |url=http://www.today.com/video/today/50820935 |title=Neil deGrasse Tyson: Radar could not detect meteor |work=Today |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref>
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The predicted close approach of the roughly {{nowrap|30-metre}} asteroid {{mpl|2012 DA|14}} occurred about 15 hours later. [[Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory]],<ref name="Kaira">{{cite web |url=http://kaira.sgo.fi/2013/02/are-2012-da14-and-chelyabinsk-meteor.html |title=Are {{mp|2012 DA|14}} and the Chelyabinsk meteor related? |publisher=Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 |location=[[Finland|FI]] }}</ref> Russian sources,<ref name="Elenin">{{cite web |date=15 February 2013 |title=Siberian fireball (video) |first=Leonid |last=Elenin |authorlink=Leonid Elenin |url=http://spaceobs.org/en/2013/02/15/siberian-fireball/ | work=SpaceObs | language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> the [[European Space Agency]]<ref name="ESA">{{cite web |url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Russian_asteroid_strike |title=Russian Asteroid Strike |work=ESA.int |publisher=European Space Agency |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=16 February 2013 }}</ref> and [[NASA]]<ref name="NASA2" /> indicated the two objects could not have been [[#Coincidental asteroid approach|related]] because the two asteroids involved had widely different trajectories.


==Initial reports==
==Initial reports==
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According to the [[Russian Federal Space Agency]], preliminary estimates indicated the object was an asteroid moving at about {{nowrap|30 km/s}} in a "low trajectory." According to the [[Russian Academy of Sciences]], the meteor then pushed through the atmosphere at a velocity of {{nowrap|15 km/s.}}<ref name="Major" /><ref name="RT-283" /><ref name="YahooNews">{{cite web |title=500 injured by blasts as meteor falls in Russia |url=http://news.yahoo.com/500-injured-blasts-meteor-falls-russia-105758757.html |publisher=Yahoo News |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The [[Radiant (meteor shower)|radiant]] (the apparent position of origin of the meteor in the sky) appears from video recordings to have been above and to the left of the rising Sun.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://kaira.sgo.fi/2013/02/are-2012-da14-and-chelyabinsk-meteor.html | title=Chelyabinsk meteor | work=Kilpisjärvi Atmospheric Imaging Receiver Array | date=15 February 2013}}</ref>
According to the [[Russian Federal Space Agency]], preliminary estimates indicated the object was an asteroid moving at about {{nowrap|30 km/s}} in a "low trajectory." According to the [[Russian Academy of Sciences]], the meteor then pushed through the atmosphere at a velocity of {{nowrap|15 km/s.}}<ref name="Major" /><ref name="RT-283" /><ref name="YahooNews">{{cite web |title=500 injured by blasts as meteor falls in Russia |url=http://news.yahoo.com/500-injured-blasts-meteor-falls-russia-105758757.html |publisher=Yahoo News |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The [[Radiant (meteor shower)|radiant]] (the apparent position of origin of the meteor in the sky) appears from video recordings to have been above and to the left of the rising Sun.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://kaira.sgo.fi/2013/02/are-2012-da14-and-chelyabinsk-meteor.html | title=Chelyabinsk meteor | work=Kilpisjärvi Atmospheric Imaging Receiver Array | date=15 February 2013}}</ref>


Estimates of the size of the asteroid ranged from a diameter of {{Convert|17|m|ft|abbr=on}} to a few metres.<ref name="NASA2" /> In earlier reports, Russian scientists incorrectly estimated the asteroid's mass at about 10 tons before it entered the Earth's atmosphere, but correctly estimated that it broke apart 30–50&nbsp;km (20–30 miles) above ground.<ref name="Reuters" /><ref name="BBC-21494963">{{cite news |title=Meteorite fragments found in Russia's Urals region |date=17 February 2013 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21494963 |work=BBC News |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=PHOTOS: Russia Meteor Explosion Shatters Windows, Injures Hundreds |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://science.time.com/2013/02/15/photos-russia-meteor-explosion-shatters-windows-injures-hundreds/ |work=Time |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref> The United States space agency [[NASA]] estimated the diameter of the bolide at about {{nowrap|17 m}} and its mass at about 10,000 tons.<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="huffpost2704164">{{cite news |title=Russian Meteor Blast Bigger Than Thought, NASA Says |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/russian-meteor-size-blast-bigger-nasa_n_2704164.html | date=17 February 2013 |work=Huffington Post |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Russia starts cleanup after meteor strike |date=18 February 2013 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/16/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/ |work=CNN |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref> The [[air burst]] and [[shock wave]] registered on seismographs at magnitude 2.7.<ref name="USGS Chelyabinsk">{{cite news |title=Meteor Explosion near Chelyabinsk, Russia |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f7rz#summary |work=US Geological Survey |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="USGS">{{cite web |title=Magnitude ? (Uncertain Or Not Yet Determined) – URAL MOUNTAINS REGION, RUSSIA |publisher=[[U.S. Geological Survey]] |work=National Earthquake Information Center |date=15 February 2013<!-- 03:20:26 UTC -->|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000f7rz.php#details }}</ref><ref name="Oskin-1">{{cite news |issn=0882-7729 |last=Oskin |first=Becky |title=Russia meteor blast produced 2.7 magnitude earthquake equivalent |work=Christian Science Monitor |accessdate=19 February 2013 |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0215/Russia-meteor-blast-produced-2.7-magnitude-earthquake-equivalent }}</ref>
Estimates of the size of the asteroid ranged from a diameter of {{Convert|17|m|ft|abbr=on}} to a few metres.<ref name="NASA2" /> In earlier reports, Russian scientists incorrectly estimated the asteroid's mass at about 10 tons before it entered the Earth's atmosphere, but correctly estimated that it broke apart 30–50&nbsp;km (20–30 miles) above ground.<ref name="Reuters" /><ref name="BBC-21494963">{{cite news |title=Meteorite fragments found in Russia's Urals region |date=17 February 2013 |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21494963 |work=BBC News |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=PHOTOS: Russia Meteor Explosion Shatters Windows, Injures Hundreds |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://science.time.com/2013/02/15/photos-russia-meteor-explosion-shatters-windows-injures-hundreds/ |work=Time |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref> The United States space agency [[NASA]] estimated the diameter of the bolide at about {{nowrap|17 m}} and its mass at about 10,000 tons.<ref name="NASA2" /><ref name="huffpost2704164">{{cite news |title=Russian Meteor Blast Bigger Than Thought, NASA Says |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/russian-meteor-size-blast-bigger-nasa_n_2704164.html |first=Tariq |last=Malik |date=17 February 2013 |work=Huffington Post |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Russia starts cleanup after meteor strike |date=18 February 2013 |url=http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/16/world/europe/russia-meteor-shower/ |work=CNN |first1=Phil |last1=Black |first2=Laura |last2=Smith-Spark |accessdate=18 February 2013 }}</ref> The [[air burst]] and [[shock wave]] registered on seismographs at magnitude 2.7.<ref name="USGS Chelyabinsk">{{cite news |title=Meteor Explosion near Chelyabinsk, Russia |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usc000f7rz#summary |work=US Geological Survey |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="USGS">{{cite web |title=Magnitude ? (Uncertain Or Not Yet Determined) – URAL MOUNTAINS REGION, RUSSIA |publisher=[[U.S. Geological Survey]] |work=National Earthquake Information Center |date=15 February 2013<!-- 03:20:26 UTC -->|url=http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc000f7rz.php#details }}</ref><ref name="Oskin-1">{{cite news |issn=0882-7729 |last=Oskin |first=Becky |title=Russia meteor blast produced 2.7 magnitude earthquake equivalent |work=Christian Science Monitor |accessdate=19 February 2013 |date=15 February 2013 |url=http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2013/0215/Russia-meteor-blast-produced-2.7-magnitude-earthquake-equivalent }}</ref>


[[File:Chebarkul meteorite sample on lake ice.jpg|thumb|left|A sample found by [[Ural Federal University]] scientists at [[Lake Chebarkul]]. The object is part of the [[Chebarkul meteorite]]]]
[[File:Chebarkul meteorite sample on lake ice.jpg|thumb|left|A sample found by [[Ural Federal University]] scientists at [[Lake Chebarkul]]. The object is part of the [[Chebarkul meteorite]]]]
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[[Colonel General#Russia|Colonel General]] Nikolay Bogdanov, commander of the [[Central Military District]], created task forces that were directed to the probable impact areas to search for fragments of the asteroid and to monitor the situation. [[Meteorites]] (fragments) measuring {{convert|1|to|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} have been found {{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chebarkul]] in the Chelyabinsk region.<ref>{{cite web |title=В полынье в Чебаркульском районе Челябинской области, возможно, найдены обломки метеорита – МЧС |url=http://www.interfax-russia.ru/Ural/main.asp?id=381682 |publisher=Interfax |language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref>
[[Colonel General#Russia|Colonel General]] Nikolay Bogdanov, commander of the [[Central Military District]], created task forces that were directed to the probable impact areas to search for fragments of the asteroid and to monitor the situation. [[Meteorites]] (fragments) measuring {{convert|1|to|5|cm|in|abbr=on}} have been found {{convert|1|km|mi|abbr=on}} from [[Chebarkul]] in the Chelyabinsk region.<ref>{{cite web |title=В полынье в Чебаркульском районе Челябинской области, возможно, найдены обломки метеорита – МЧС |url=http://www.interfax-russia.ru/Ural/main.asp?id=381682 |publisher=Interfax |language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref>


On the day of the impact, Bloomberg News reported that the [[United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs]] had suggested the investigation of creating an "Action Team on [[Near-Earth Objects]]", a proposed global [[asteroid]] warning network system, in face of {{mpl|2012 DA|14}}'s approach.<ref name="bloomberg UNOOSA">{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/armageddon-not-in-the-stars-as-un-effort-takes-aim-at-asteroids.html |title=Asteroid Passes Earth as UN Mulls Monitoring Network |author=Drajem, Mark & Weber, Alexander |publisher=Bloomberg |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="cbs UNOOSA">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57569864/united-nations-reviewing-asteroid-impact-threat/ |title=United Nations reviewing asteroid impact threat |publisher=CBS News | last=David | first=Leonard |date=18 February 2013 |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref> As a result of the impact, two scientists in California are proposing [[directed-energy weapon]] technology development as a possible means to protect Earth from asteroids.<ref name="Villamarin">{{cite news | url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/438042/20130222/end-world-2013-de-star-project-proposed.htm | title=End of the World 2013: DE-STAR Project Proposed after Asteroid 2012 DA14 Flyby, Russian Meteor Blast | publisher=International Business Times | date=22 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="Barrie">{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/19/massive-orbital-laser-blaster-could-defend-against-asteroid-threats/ | title=Massive, orbital laser blaster could defend against asteroid threats | publisher=Fox News | date=19 February 2013}}</ref>
On the day of the impact, Bloomberg News reported that the [[United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs]] had suggested the investigation of creating an "Action Team on [[Near-Earth Objects]]", a proposed global [[asteroid]] warning network system, in face of {{mpl|2012 DA|14}}'s approach.<ref name="bloomberg UNOOSA">{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-15/armageddon-not-in-the-stars-as-un-effort-takes-aim-at-asteroids.html |title=Asteroid Passes Earth as UN Mulls Monitoring Network |last1=Drajem |first1=Mark | last2=Weber |first2=Alexander |publisher=Bloomberg |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref><ref name="cbs UNOOSA">{{cite news |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57569864/united-nations-reviewing-asteroid-impact-threat/ |title=United Nations reviewing asteroid impact threat |publisher=CBS News | last=David | first=Leonard |date=18 February 2013 |accessdate=19 February 2013 }}</ref> As a result of the impact, two scientists in California are proposing [[directed-energy weapon]] technology development as a possible means to protect Earth from asteroids.<ref name="Villamarin">{{cite news | url=http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/438042/20130222/end-world-2013-de-star-project-proposed.htm | title=End of the World 2013: DE-STAR Project Proposed after Asteroid 2012 DA14 Flyby, Russian Meteor Blast | publisher=International Business Times | date=22 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="Barrie">{{cite news | url=http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/02/19/massive-orbital-laser-blaster-could-defend-against-asteroid-threats/ | title=Massive, orbital laser blaster could defend against asteroid threats | publisher=Fox News | first=Allison | last=Barrie | date=19 February 2013}}</ref>



===Media coverage===
===Media coverage===
Line 93: Line 92:
}}
}}
The Russian government put out a brief statement within an hour of the meteor.<ref name="RMNB">{{cite news |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/how-a-dc-hockey-fan-site-got-the-russian-meteorite-story-before-the-ap/273225/ |title=How a D.C. Hockey Fan Site Got the Russian Meteorite Story Before the AP |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=17 February 2013 |archivedate=17 February 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6EVVMDSVk |publisher=[[The Atlantic]] |last=Franke-Ruta |first=Garance }}</ref> Discussion on [[social media]] sites started almost immediately after the meteor (including initial scepticism, given the sophistication of modern [[computer-generated imagery]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisstokelwalker/how-golden-eagle-snatches-kid-ruled-the-internet |title=How "Golden Eagle Snatches Kid" Ruled The Internet |publisher=Buzzfeed.com |date=2012-11-29 |accessdate=24 February 2013 }}</ref> and heavy coverage by the international media had begun by the time the [[Associated Press]] put out a brief report with the Russian government's confirmation less than two hours afterwards.<ref name="RMNB" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Federal Press World News |title=Челябинский метеорит стал одной из самых популярных тем в мире |url=http://world.fedpress.ru/news/russia_and_cis/1360914956-chelyabinskii-meteorit-stal-odnoi-iz-samykh-populyarnykh-tem-v-mire |publisher=Federal Press | language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> Less than 15 hours after the meteor impact, videos of the meteor and its aftermath had been viewed millions of times.<ref>{{cite web |last=Visible Measures |title=Meteor Over Russia Hits Internet with 7.7 Million Video Views |url=http://corp.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/95381/Meteor-Over-Russia-Hits-Internet-with-7-7-Million-Video-Views |publisher=Visible Measures |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The number of injuries caused by the asteroid led Google to pull a [[Google logo|Google Doodle]] on another asteroid, {{mpl|2012 DA|14}}, from their website.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/02/asteroid-2012-da14-google-doodle-removed-after-russian-meteor-shower-injuries/ | title=Asteroid {{mp|2012 DA|14}} Google Doodle Removed After Russian Meteor Shower Injuries | publisher=ABC News | date=15 February 2013}}</ref>
The Russian government put out a brief statement within an hour of the meteor.<ref name="RMNB">{{cite news |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/02/how-a-dc-hockey-fan-site-got-the-russian-meteorite-story-before-the-ap/273225/ |title=How a D.C. Hockey Fan Site Got the Russian Meteorite Story Before the AP |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=17 February 2013 |archivedate=17 February 2013 |archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/6EVVMDSVk |publisher=[[The Atlantic]] |last=Franke-Ruta |first=Garance }}</ref> Discussion on [[social media]] sites started almost immediately after the meteor (including initial scepticism, given the sophistication of modern [[computer-generated imagery]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisstokelwalker/how-golden-eagle-snatches-kid-ruled-the-internet |title=How "Golden Eagle Snatches Kid" Ruled The Internet |publisher=Buzzfeed.com |date=2012-11-29 |accessdate=24 February 2013 }}</ref> and heavy coverage by the international media had begun by the time the [[Associated Press]] put out a brief report with the Russian government's confirmation less than two hours afterwards.<ref name="RMNB" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Federal Press World News |title=Челябинский метеорит стал одной из самых популярных тем в мире |url=http://world.fedpress.ru/news/russia_and_cis/1360914956-chelyabinskii-meteorit-stal-odnoi-iz-samykh-populyarnykh-tem-v-mire |publisher=Federal Press | language=Russian |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> Less than 15 hours after the meteor impact, videos of the meteor and its aftermath had been viewed millions of times.<ref>{{cite web |last=Visible Measures |title=Meteor Over Russia Hits Internet with 7.7 Million Video Views |url=http://corp.visiblemeasures.com/news-and-events/blog/bid/95381/Meteor-Over-Russia-Hits-Internet-with-7-7-Million-Video-Views |publisher=Visible Measures |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> The number of injuries caused by the asteroid led Google to pull a [[Google logo|Google Doodle]] on another asteroid, {{mpl|2012 DA|14}}, from their website.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2013/02/asteroid-2012-da14-google-doodle-removed-after-russian-meteor-shower-injuries/ | title=Asteroid {{mp|2012 DA|14}} Google Doodle Removed After Russian Meteor Shower Injuries | publisher=ABC News | date=15 February 2013}}</ref>

New York City planetarium director [[Neil deGrasse Tyson]] said the meteor was unpredicted because no attempt had been made to find and catalogue every {{nowrap|15-metre}} near-Earth object.<ref name="today1" />


==Coincidental asteroid approach==
==Coincidental asteroid approach==
Line 148: Line 149:
Marco Langbroek (VU University Amsterdam) pointed out that it is impossible for fragments in orbits similar to that of {{mp|2012 DA|14}} to enter the atmosphere at a latitude as high as 55&nbsp;degrees north: as seen from the approach direction of such fragments, 55 degrees north is located on the back side of Earth.<ref name="Sattrackcam">{{cite web |url=http://sattrackcam.blogspot.nl/2013/02/hughe-fireball-over-russia-this-morning.html |title=Huge fireball over Russia this morning! Not {{mp|2012 DA|14}} related |publisher=SatTrackCam |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> NASA also released a statement saying that {{mp|2012 DA|14}} and the meteor that exploded over Russia had "significantly different" trajectories and that the two were not related.<ref name="NASA1" />
Marco Langbroek (VU University Amsterdam) pointed out that it is impossible for fragments in orbits similar to that of {{mp|2012 DA|14}} to enter the atmosphere at a latitude as high as 55&nbsp;degrees north: as seen from the approach direction of such fragments, 55 degrees north is located on the back side of Earth.<ref name="Sattrackcam">{{cite web |url=http://sattrackcam.blogspot.nl/2013/02/hughe-fireball-over-russia-this-morning.html |title=Huge fireball over Russia this morning! Not {{mp|2012 DA|14}} related |publisher=SatTrackCam |date=15 February 2013 |accessdate=15 February 2013 }}</ref> NASA also released a statement saying that {{mp|2012 DA|14}} and the meteor that exploded over Russia had "significantly different" trajectories and that the two were not related.<ref name="NASA1" />


Multiple videos of the [[superbolide]], particularly from [[traffic camera]]s, helped to establish the meteor's provenance as an [[Apollo asteroid]].<ref name="arXiv">{{cite web | work=The Physics arXiv Blog |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/view/511691/astronomers-calculate-orbit-of-chelyabinsk-meteorite/ |title=Astronomers Calculate Orbit of Chelyabinsk Meteorite &#124; MIT Technology Review |publisher=Technologyreview.com |date=25 February 2013 |accessdate=27 February 2013 |quote=Their conclusion is that the Chelyabinsk meteorite is from a family of rocks that cross Earth’s orbit called Apollo asteroids.}}</ref> The [[Radiant (meteor shower)|radiant]] of the impacting asteroid was located in the [[constellation]] [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]] in the [[Northern hemisphere]].<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /> The radiant was close to the Eastern horizon where the Sun was starting to rise.<ref name="Zuluaga2013">{{cite journal |last1=Zuluaga |first1=Jorge I. |last2=Ferrin | first2=Ignacio |title=A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid |year=2013 |arxiv=1302.5377 |bibcode=2013arXiv1302.5377Z |volume=1302 |page=5377 |quote=We use this result to classify the meteoroid among the near Earth asteroid families finding that the parent body belonged to the Apollo asteroids.}}</ref> The asteroid belonged to the [[List of Apollo asteroids|Apollo]] group of [[near-Earth asteroids]],<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="Rincon">{{cite news | first=Paul | last=Rincon | title=Russia meteor's origin tracked down | date=26 February 2013 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21579422 | work=BBC News | accessdate=2013-02-26}}</ref> and was roughly 40 days past [[Apsis|perihelion]]<ref name="AMS">{{cite web |title=Large Daytime Fireball Hits Russia |publisher=[[American Meteor Society]] |author=Mike Hankey |url=http://www.amsmeteors.org/2013/02/large-daytime-fireball-hits-russia/ |accessdate=22 February 2013 }}</ref> (closest approach to the Sun) and had aphelion (furthest distance from the Sun) in the [[asteroid belt]].<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="AMS" />
Multiple videos of the [[superbolide]], particularly from [[traffic camera]]s, helped to establish the meteor's provenance as an [[Apollo asteroid]].<ref name="arXiv">{{cite web | work=The Physics arXiv Blog |url=http://www.technologyreview.com/view/511691/astronomers-calculate-orbit-of-chelyabinsk-meteorite/ |title=Astronomers Calculate Orbit of Chelyabinsk Meteorite &#124; MIT Technology Review |publisher=Technologyreview.com |date=25 February 2013 |accessdate=27 February 2013 |quote=Their conclusion is that the Chelyabinsk meteorite is from a family of rocks that cross Earth’s orbit called Apollo asteroids.}}</ref> The [[Radiant (meteor shower)|radiant]] of the impacting asteroid was located in the [[constellation]] [[Pegasus (constellation)|Pegasus]] in the [[Northern hemisphere]].<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /> The radiant was close to the Eastern horizon where the Sun was starting to rise.<ref name="Zuluaga2013">{{cite journal |last1=Zuluaga |first1=Jorge I. |last2=Ferrin | first2=Ignacio |title=A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid |year=2013 |arxiv=1302.5377 |bibcode=2013arXiv1302.5377Z |volume=1302 |page=5377 |quote=We use this result to classify the meteoroid among the near Earth asteroid families finding that the parent body belonged to the Apollo asteroids.}}</ref> The asteroid belonged to the [[List of Apollo asteroids|Apollo]] group of [[near-Earth asteroids]],<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="Rincon">{{cite news | first=Paul | last=Rincon | title=Russia meteor's origin tracked down | date=26 February 2013 | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21579422 | work=BBC News | accessdate=2013-02-26}}</ref> and was roughly 40 days past [[Apsis|perihelion]]<ref name="AMS">{{cite web |title=Large Daytime Fireball Hits Russia |publisher=[[American Meteor Society]] |first=Mike |last=Hankey |url=http://www.amsmeteors.org/2013/02/large-daytime-fireball-hits-russia/ |accessdate=22 February 2013 }}</ref> (closest approach to the Sun) and had aphelion (furthest distance from the Sun) in the [[asteroid belt]].<ref name="Zuluaga2013" /><ref name="AMS" />


==Meteorite scramble==
==Meteorite scramble==

Revision as of 04:25, 1 March 2013

2013 Russian meteor
Trail left by the meteor after it had passed over Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk meteor is located in Russia
Chelyabinsk meteor
Location of the meteor
Date15 February 2013 (2013-02-15)
Time09:20 YEKT (UTC+06:00)
Location
Coordinates55°09′00″N 61°24′36″E / 55.150°N 61.410°E / 55.150; 61.410
Also known asChebarkul meteorite
CauseMeteor air burst
Non-fatal injuries1,491[1]
Property damageOver 4,300 damaged buildings, collapsed factory roof, shattered windows

On 15 February 2013, an asteroid[2][3][4] entered Earth's atmosphere over Russia at about 09:20 YEKT (03:20 UTC).[5][6][7][8] With an estimated speed of 18 km/s (40,000 mph),[5] the meteor became a brilliant superbolide over the southern Ural region.[9] It exploded in an air burst over Chelyabinsk Oblast at about 15 to 25 km (9.3 to 15.5 mi) above the ground,[5][10] creating small fragmentary meteorites and a powerful shock wave. The atmosphere absorbed most of the released energy,[11] which was equivalent to nearly 500 kilotons of TNT (2.1 PJ),[5][12][13] 20–30 times more powerful than each of the atomic bombs detonated at Hiroshima and Nagasaki.[5][12][13][14]

About 1,500 people were injured,[1] two seriously. All of the injuries were due to indirect effects rather than the meteor itself, mainly by glass from windows shattered by the shock wave.[12] Over 4,300 buildings in six cities across the region were damaged by the explosion.[15][16] The meteor created a dazzling light, bright enough to cast moving shadows during the morning daylight in Chelyabinsk and was observed from Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, Orenburg Oblasts, the Republic of Bashkortostan, and in Kazakhstan. Eyewitnesses also felt intense heat from the fireball.[17]

With an estimated initial mass of 10,000 tonnes,[5] the Chelyabinsk meteor is the largest object[18] to have entered Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 Tunguska event, and the only meteor known to have resulted in a large number of injuries[16] except for the Great Madrid Meteor of 1896 Feb 10.[19]. The object had not been detected before atmospheric entry.[20] The predicted close approach of the roughly 30-metre asteroid 2012 DA14 occurred about 15 hours later. Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory,[21] Russian sources,[22] the European Space Agency[23] and NASA[5] indicated the two objects could not have been related because the two asteroids involved had widely different trajectories.

Initial reports

The meteor's path in relation to the ground.

Local residents witnessed extremely bright burning objects in the sky in Chelyabinsk, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, and Orenburg Oblasts, the Republic of Bashkortostan, and in neighbouring regions in Kazakhstan.[24][25][26] Amateur videos showed a fireball streaking across the sky and a loud boom shortly afterwards.[27][28][29]

The meteor occurred at 09:20 Yekaterinburg time, several minutes after sunrise in Chelyabinsk, and minutes before sunrise in Yekaterinburg. According to eyewitnesses the bolide was brighter than the sun,[25] a fact later confirmed by NASA.[30] An image of the object was also taken shortly after it entered the atmosphere by the weather satellite Meteosat 9.[12] Witnesses in Chelyabinsk said that the air of the city smelled like gunpowder.[12]

Atmospheric entry

Illustrating all "phases", from atmospheric entry to explosion.

The visible phenomenon due to the passage of an asteroid or meteoroid through the atmosphere is called a meteor.[31] If the object reaches the ground, then it is called a meteorite. During the Chelyabinsk meteor's traversal, there was a bright object trailing smoke, then an air burst (explosion) that caused a shock wave, the cause of the material damage.

According to the Russian Federal Space Agency, preliminary estimates indicated the object was an asteroid moving at about 30 km/s in a "low trajectory." According to the Russian Academy of Sciences, the meteor then pushed through the atmosphere at a velocity of 15 km/s.[8][12][32] The radiant (the apparent position of origin of the meteor in the sky) appears from video recordings to have been above and to the left of the rising Sun.[33]

Estimates of the size of the asteroid ranged from a diameter of 17 m (56 ft) to a few metres.[5] In earlier reports, Russian scientists incorrectly estimated the asteroid's mass at about 10 tons before it entered the Earth's atmosphere, but correctly estimated that it broke apart 30–50 km (20–30 miles) above ground.[25][34][35] The United States space agency NASA estimated the diameter of the bolide at about 17 m and its mass at about 10,000 tons.[5][36][37] The air burst and shock wave registered on seismographs at magnitude 2.7.[38][39][40]

A sample found by Ural Federal University scientists at Lake Chebarkul. The object is part of the Chebarkul meteorite

The Russian Geographical Society said the passing of the meteor over Chelyabinsk caused three blasts of different power. The first explosion was the most powerful, and was preceded by a bright flash, which lasted about five seconds. Altitude estimates ranged from 30–70 km, with an explosive equivalent of roughly 500 kilotonnes of TNT (2,100 TJ),[n 1][41] and the hypocentre of the explosion was to the south of Chelyabinsk, in Yemanzhelinsk and Yuzhnouralsk. The shock wave reached Chelyabinsk two minutes and 57 seconds later.[42] The infrasound waves given off by the explosions were detected by 17 monitoring stations designed to detect nuclear weapons testing run by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Commission, including at the most distant Antarctic station, some 15,000 kilometres (9,300 mi) away.[43]

Analysis of CCTV and dash cam footage posted on-line indicates that the meteor approached from east by south, and exploded about 40 km south of central Chelyabinsk above Korkino at a height of 27 km, with fragments continuing in the direction of Lake Chebarkul.[44][45][46]

The last time a similar phenomenon was observed in the Chelyabinsk region was the Kunashak meteor shower of 1949, after which scientists recovered about 20 meteorites weighing over 200 kg in total.[47] The Chelyabinsk meteor is thought to be the biggest space object to enter Earth's atmosphere since the 1908 Tunguska event,[48][49] and the only one known to have resulted in a large number of injuries.

Impact

Although it is not yet clear if the 6-metre-wide hole in Lake Chebarkul's frozen surface was the result of an impact, scientists from the Ural Federal University have collected 53 samples from around the hole. The specimens are all under 1 cm in size and initial laboratory analysis confirmed their meteoric origin. They are ordinary chondrite meteorites and contain 10% iron. Scientists intend to name the fragments the Chebarkul meteorite. If accepted, the name will be published in the Bulletin of the Meteoritical Society.[50] A team of six Russian Emergencies Ministry scuba divers examined the lake impact site and found no large meteorite fragment at the bottom.[51] A fragment large enough to cause the 6-metre-wide hole in the ice has yet to be found.[52][53]

In the neighbouring country of Kazakhstan, officials said they were looking for two possible unidentified objects that may have impacted in Aktobe Province, adjacent to the affected Russian regions.[54][55]

Damage and injuries

Shattered windows in the Chelyabinsk Drama Theatre

As of 18 February 2013, 1,491[1] people had requested medical attention in Chelyabinsk Oblast, including 311 children. Health officials said 112 people had been hospitalised, with two in serious condition. A 52-year-old woman with a broken spine was flown to Moscow for treatment.[12] Most people were hurt by shattered glass.[12] After the blast, car alarms went off and mobile phone networks were overloaded with calls.[56] Office buildings in Chelyabinsk were evacuated. Classes for all Chelyabinsk schools were cancelled, mainly due to broken windows.[12] At least 20 children were injured when the windows of a school and kindergarten burst at 09:22.[57]

A report the day after the meteor by Russia Today listed "3,724 apartments, 671 educational institutions, 69 cultural facilities, 34 hospitals and clinics, 11 social facilities and five sport venues in the Chelyabinsk region..." that needed repairs as a result of the shock wave damage. Approximately 100,000 home-owners were affected, according to Mikhail Yurevich, the governor of the Chelyabinsk Region.[58]

The collapsed roof of a zinc factory in Chelyabinsk

Following the meteor, government officials in Chelyabinsk asked parents to take their children home from schools.[59] Approximately 600 m² of a roof at a zinc factory collapsed during the incident.[60] Residents in Chelyabinsk whose windows were smashed were scrambling to cover the openings with anything available, as the temperature in Chelyabinsk and the impact area was −15 °C (5 °F).[61]

The Chelyabinsk Oblast Governor Mikhail Yurevich stated that preserving the central heating system of the city is the primary goal of the authorities.[12] He estimated damage from the meteor at more than than 1 billion rubles[62] (approximately US$33 million). Chelyabinsk authorities said that the broken windows (but not balcony glazing) of apartment homes will be replaced at the state's expense.[63]

One of the buildings damaged in the blast was the Traktor Sport Palace, home arena of Traktor Chelyabinsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The arena will be closed for inspection, affecting various events scheduled in the arena, and possibly the postseason of the KHL.[64]

Reactions

Dmitry Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, confirmed a meteor had struck Russia and said it proves the “entire planet” is vulnerable to meteors and a spaceguard system is needed to protect the planet from similar objects in the future.[27][65] Dmitry Rogozin, the deputy prime minister, proposed that there should be an international programme that would alert countries to "objects of an extraterrestrial origin",[66] also called potentially hazardous objects.

Colonel General Nikolay Bogdanov, commander of the Central Military District, created task forces that were directed to the probable impact areas to search for fragments of the asteroid and to monitor the situation. Meteorites (fragments) measuring 1 to 5 cm (0.39 to 1.97 in) have been found 1 km (0.62 mi) from Chebarkul in the Chelyabinsk region.[67]

On the day of the impact, Bloomberg News reported that the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs had suggested the investigation of creating an "Action Team on Near-Earth Objects", a proposed global asteroid warning network system, in face of 2012 DA14's approach.[68][69] As a result of the impact, two scientists in California are proposing directed-energy weapon technology development as a possible means to protect Earth from asteroids.[70][71]

Media coverage

External videos
Meteor Air Burst
video icon Extensive dash cam footage from the atmospheric entry onwards
video icon Explosion eyewitness
video icon Bright light and sound recorded by a stationary surveillance camera

The Russian government put out a brief statement within an hour of the meteor.[72] Discussion on social media sites started almost immediately after the meteor (including initial scepticism, given the sophistication of modern computer-generated imagery),[73] and heavy coverage by the international media had begun by the time the Associated Press put out a brief report with the Russian government's confirmation less than two hours afterwards.[72][74] Less than 15 hours after the meteor impact, videos of the meteor and its aftermath had been viewed millions of times.[75] The number of injuries caused by the asteroid led Google to pull a Google Doodle on another asteroid, 2012 DA14, from their website.[76]

New York City planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson said the meteor was unpredicted because no attempt had been made to find and catalogue every 15-metre near-Earth object.[20]

Coincidental asteroid approach

Comparison of the former orbit of the Chelyabinsk meteor (larger elliptical blue orbit) and asteroid 2012 DA14 (smaller circular blue orbit), showing they are dissimilar.

Preliminary calculations showed the object was not related to the 15 February close approach of asteroid 2012 DA14 that subsequently passed the Earth at a distance of 27,700 km.[77][78]

The meteor occurred 16 hours before the approach of asteroid 2012 DA14 to the Earth, which was the "closest ever predicted Earth approach" of an object its size.[79] Phil Plait said they were unlikely to be related because the objects were almost 500,000 kilometres apart and seemed to be travelling in different directions.[77] After an initial analysis of photographs from the site, scientists at the Sodankylä Geophysical Observatory in Northern Finland concluded that the two trajectories were widely different.[21]

Preliminary orbital solutions for impacting asteroid
Source aphelion
(Q) 		perihelion
(q) 		Semi-major
axis
(a) 		eccentricity
(e) 		inclination
(i) 		Longitude
ascending
node
(Ω) 		Argument
of
perihelion
(ω)
AU (°)
Lyytinen via Hankey; AMS[80] 2.53 0.80 1.66 0.52 4.05° 326.43° 116.0°
Zuluaga, Ferrin; ArXiv[2] 2.64 0.82 1.73 0.51 3.45° 326.70° 120.62°
Borovicka, et al; IAU 3423[9] 2.33 0.768 1.55 0.50 3.6° 326.41° 109.7°

Marco Langbroek (VU University Amsterdam) pointed out that it is impossible for fragments in orbits similar to that of 2012 DA14 to enter the atmosphere at a latitude as high as 55 degrees north: as seen from the approach direction of such fragments, 55 degrees north is located on the back side of Earth.[81] NASA also released a statement saying that 2012 DA14 and the meteor that exploded over Russia had "significantly different" trajectories and that the two were not related.[79]

Multiple videos of the superbolide, particularly from traffic cameras, helped to establish the meteor's provenance as an Apollo asteroid.[3] The radiant of the impacting asteroid was located in the constellation Pegasus in the Northern hemisphere.[2] The radiant was close to the Eastern horizon where the Sun was starting to rise.[2] The asteroid belonged to the Apollo group of near-Earth asteroids,[2][4] and was roughly 40 days past perihelion[80] (closest approach to the Sun) and had aphelion (furthest distance from the Sun) in the asteroid belt.[2][80]

Meteorite scramble

In the aftermath of the air burst of the body, a large number of small meteorites fell on areas west of Chelyabinsk, generally at terminal velocity, about the speed of a piece of gravel dropped from a skyscraper.[82] Local residents and schoolchildren located and picked up some of the meteorites, many located in snowdrifts, by following a visible hole that had been left in the outer surface of the snow. Speculators have been active in the informal market that has rapidly emerged for meteorite fragments.[82] (See also: Meteorite hunter.)

See also

Notes

  1. ^ According to the measurements from the other side of the city, if the height of the blast is measured at about 30 km, the power of the explosion would range from 0.1 to 1 kiloton.

References

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Attribution
  • This article contains portions of text translated from the corresponding article of the Russian Wikipedia. A list of contributors can be found there in the History section.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2013 Russian meteor event.
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