Meteorite crash in central Russia

[leo3375]

Here's a link to a Buzzfeed post with several videos (worth watching, trust me):
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/meteorite-crash-reported-in-russia

And a BBC report:
Central Russia hit by meteor shower (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116)


A meteor shower in central Russia has caused some injuries and shattered windows, reports say.

Brightly burning rocks could be seen for hundreds of kilometres as they crashed into the Ural region.


Chelyabinsk residents reported shaking ground, windows being shattered and car alarms being set off during the shower.


The traces from falling objects could be seen in Yekaterinburg, about 200km (125 miles) south-east of Chelyabinsk, a witness told the Reuters news agency.


"A meteorite exploded above the Chelyabinsk region," an emergencies ministry spokesman told Interfax.


A witness in Chelyabinsk told Reuters that a huge blast was heard early on Friday morning and that shockwaves were felt in a 19-storey building in the town centre.


The Interfax news agency said that preliminary reports indicated that four people were injured by flying glass.


People in the Chelyabinsk and Sverdlovsk regions reported seeing "burning objects" in the sky.

[richardp]

Good god this is terrifying, BUT SO FUCKING COOL. That sonic bang is absolutely unreal.

[DigitalChaos]

http://zyalt.livejournal.com/722930.html
http://i.imgur.com/MJUGa4h.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7c-0iwBEswE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0cRHsApzt8

[DigitalChaos]

Despite the reports, there is no way in fuck that the russian military shot that down.

Also, it's very unlikely to be the DA14 asteroid that is going to pass next to us in 12 hours. Being 6000km infront would be absurd. Also, this thing looks to be moving east to west. DA14 would be moving south to north.

[leo3375]

102 people have been treated for injuries so far. And while some are saying that it was multiple objects, the videos I saw looked like it was only one meteorite that likely split or fragmented as it entered the atmosphere. The contrail looks like it may have split in two before it exploded.

[The Becoming]

Despite the reports, there is no way in fuck that the russian military shot that down.Agreed. That's complete bullshit. I don't know of any missile that would be capable of intercepting that thing given how quickly it came in. My heart was punding watching the video of the sonic boom going off. Terrifying yet stunning at the same time.

Edit:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?nomobile=1&v=Np_mpGYSBSA


Here's another video. Notice how long after the meteor travels through the sky the sonic boom goes off, as well as the booms of the smaller fragments that were breaking off. With what little knowledge I know on this subject, and hopefully someone will correct me if I'm wrong, I would imagine this thing was probably traveling between 10,000 and 20,000mph before it started slowing up hitting the outer atmosphere of the earth. Stuff like this really gives you an appreciation for our atmosphere. I always have nightmares about asteroids and nukes going off and wiping everything out, but after seeing this its funny that there would be a sliver of morbid beauty watching an asteroid plummet to the ground.

[Alexandros]

Fucking hell! I'd be interested to know if the meteorite's size can be estimated. Just to put things into perspective.

EDIT: On Russian air defense hitting the meteorite: Of course that's bullshit! Τhe meteorite was stopped simply by the baleful gaze of Putin!

[staleincense]

What is it with Russia and meteorite impacts? I mean, there was Tunguska in 1908 and now this.

[baudolino]

What is it with Russia and meteorite impacts? I mean, there was Tunguska in 1908 and now this.

maybe because russia is the largest country on this planet?

[baudolino]

Fucking hell! I'd be interested to know if the meteorite's size can be estimated. Just to put things into perspective.

EDIT: On Russian air defense hitting the meteorite: Of course that's bullshit! Τhe meteorite was stopped simply by the baleful gaze of Putin!

these meteors were comparatively tiny. not more than a few feet in diameter. but they were very very fast (~20k km per hour, even faster), which makes them so impressive.

[Alexandros]

^^I know they were small, I was wondering exactly how small. Like: One meter (three feet) in diameter? 5 meters? Probably can't be estimated with that kind of accuracy.

[baudolino]

^^I know they were small, I was wondering exactly how small. Like: One meter (three feet) in diameter? 5 meters? Probably can't be estimated with that kind of accuracy.

i figured that if it would have been bigger radar stations would have detected it before it penetrated the atmosphere. on the other side, would authorities inform the public about a 5 meter rock in space. propably not, esp. in russia.

edit: just found a picture showing the impact location: http://cdn1.spiegel.de/images/image-461810-galleryV9-ctel.jpg

2nd edit: well, i was wrong in every point

[Sutekh]

Thank FUCK it didn't trigger any Launch-on-Warning systems!

[Deepvoid]

i figured that if it would have been bigger radar stations would have detected it before it penetrated the atmosphere. on the other side, would authorities inform the public about a 5 meter rock in space. propably not, esp. in russia.

edit: just found a picture showing the impact location: http://cdn1.spiegel.de/images/image-461810-galleryV9-ctel.jpg

That's pretty big. Apparently it was 11-tone before entering the atmosphere. Thank God it didn't land in a populated area.

[Leviathant]

Sonic BOOM!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6uOzFo2MQg&feature=player_embedded

[snaapz]

"Russian scientists estimate the speed was 55,000 Km/h" -- The military would have to use some failry Top Secret weapons to strike that target.....

This is a pretty amazing video, I can't say that we've ever seen something quite like this on video before. Reiminds me that there's always the possibility of Earth passing into the path of a field of large meteors... imagine 5000 of these hitting. Or one large meteor....

I say we use the moon. Yes the moon. Maneuver the moon into a position wich will block/intercept incoming meteors... crazy?

[snaapz]

P.S. Russia is making the internet interesting again. I swear everyone has a dashboard cam in their car.

[kdrcraig]

Maneuver the moon into a position wich will block/intercept incoming meteors... crazy?

Yes it is crazy. The moon already blocks a bunch of shit anyway.

[The Becoming]

P.S. Russia is making the internet interesting again. I swear everyone has a dashboard cam in their car.

You can thank insurance fraud for that.

Reports are saying close to 1,000 people injured, mostly from broken glass. Like someone said above, thankfully this didn't hit a more densely populated area.

[october_midnight]

I just think it's touching that it showed up for the premiere of the new Bruce Willis movie.

[richardp]

Viral marketing at it's best, y'all

[leo3375]

You can thank insurance fraud for {so many Russians having dashboard cameras}.

You can also blame corrupted traffic cops, a general distrust of the police, and shitty road conditions. This is why I'm not surprised that there are so many dashboard videos of the meteor as it entered the atmosphere and descended.

[marodi]

What is it with Russia and meteorite impacts? I mean, there was Tunguska in 1908 and now this.

Actually, the Tunguska event is still officially unexplained, although it is considered an impact event. Scientists can't agree on what it is that crashed. A meteor is the favorite explanation though. Personally, I blame Tesla. *cues Twilight Zone theme* ;)

I'm sorry for those who were hurt by last night's meteorites but damn is it fascinating.

[Space Suicide]

Totally unreal!

[leo3375]

Dr. Neil DrGrasse Tyson explains the meteorite, why it isn't related to 2012 AD14 (which will fly by very, very soon), and why this one wasn't detected on radar:

http://www.today.com/video/today/50820935

[Alexandros]

Actually, the Tunguska event is still officially unexplained, although it is considered an impact event. Scientists can't agree on what it is that crashed. A meteor is the favorite explanation though. Personally, I blame Tesla. *cues Twilight Zone theme* ;)

I'm sorry for those who were hurt by last night's meteorites but damn is it fascinating.

I think the widely accepted version is comet rather than meteorite, in the sense that they haven't found any meteorite fragments in the area, which leads them to suspect that it was made of materials that completely evaporated in the atmosphere, which would be far easier to happen to a comet due to its nature (i.e. a big "frozen" ball).

[Deepvoid]

Can you imagine if this thing hit downtown LA or Manhattan.

[Sutekh]

I think the widely accepted version is comet rather than meteorite, in the sense that they haven't found any meteorite fragments in the area, which leads them to suspect that it was made of materials that completely evaporated in the atmosphere, which would be far easier to happen to a comet due to its nature (i.e. a big "frozen" ball).

Yeah it is generally accepted that it was a comet which exploded as it entered the atmosphere (but before it hit the ground)

[orestes]

That's not how science works.

It was a meteor.

Nevermind, I thought we were discussing today's event.

[Fixer808]

Very cool footage! There was a thing on the radio today saying how AD14 passed by coming from the southern hemisphere and this was coming in from the north, so they're obviously completely unrelated, but the odds against something this size entering the atmosphere in the same 24hr period as a football field-sized object passing within 25,000km (?) of Earth (the closest flyby of an object that size in a fuck-long time?) are pretty astronomical (hur hur).

We'll find out if it truly is a coincidence once the tripods start hauling themselves out of the rubble.

[leo3375]

Sorry, but I had to share this:

http://images.nonexiste.net/popular/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Scumbag-Asteroid-2012-DA14.jpeg

[Fixer808]

Blast now estimated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Russian_meteor_event) at 500 kilotons!

[Deepvoid]

Blast now estimated (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Russian_meteor_event) at 500 kilotons!

I'm no scientist but how come didn't do more damage at this yield? I would have expected to see some buildings completely demolished, not just windows.

[Alexandros]

I'm no scientist but how come didn't do more damage at this yield? I would have expected to see some buildings completely demolished, not just windows.

They estimate that the blast happened at a height of 15-25 km above ground. For comparison, the Hiroshima bomb exploded at 470m above ground, and the relationship between distance and effect is not linear.

[Deepvoid]

That makes a lot sense. Thanks.

[elevenism]

old thread, but here's what scared the shit out of me about this. The scientists tell us that a meteor is going to "nearly miss us, no cause for alarm..."
I had just watched Melancholia, and WAS alarmed.
And then what, the DAY before, right? the DAY before, a meteor hits, unannounced.
I fear that these scientists had no fucking clue if the "near miss" meteor was gonna hit us or not...they just didn't want chaos and panic.

[Alexandros]

...The scientists tell us that a meteor is going to "nearly miss us, no cause for alarm..."

...I fear that these scientists had no fucking clue if the "near miss" meteor was gonna hit us or not...they just didn't want chaos and panic.

As to the first point, IF a meteor is detected enough time before it passes us by/hits us (which is a big IF, since it all comes down to looking at the right place at the right time) and its movement is studied, its trajectory can be pretty accurately estimated. And of course, "nearly" is quite a relative term in space distances.

But even if for whatever reason there was no certainty concerning the trajectory, would you blame them for keeping things calm?

[kdrcraig]

they just didn't want chaos and panic.

Why is that a bad thing? Like Alexandros said, IF they were to spot a big one that was going to hit us there's not a god damn thing we could do about it so telling the public ahead of time would only cause mass panic and probably worldwide rioting. And as far as them not knowing if it was going to hit us or not, the ones they've found and tracked they know their orbits pretty well. It's the ones they don't even know about you should be worrying about.

[Fixer808]

Two good works of fiction on the subject:
Lucifer's Hammer (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer%27s_Hammer) by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle
and
The Hammer of God (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hammer_of_God) by Arthur C. Clarke (see also the opening of "Rendezvous With Rama (http://neofoundation.org/rama.htm)")
That's some sex-tastic writing.

[Alexandros]

IF they were to spot a big one that was going to hit us there's not a god damn thing we could do about it so telling the public ahead of time would only cause mass panic and probably worldwide rioting.

The thing is, keeping it under wraps is probably all about the possibility it DOESN'T hit. In which case all hell will have broken loose and we will still have a world to come back to. Severe awkwardness would ensue...

[kdrcraig]

Haha yeah that's very true.





see also the opening of "Rendezvous With Rama (http://neofoundation.org/rama.htm)"

Love that book, really the whole series