This is a follow-up to the previous article. Lots of details beginning to emerge. This was a fairly large rock that made it through the atmosphere before shattering and doing a whole lot of damage. This also appears to be a foreshadowing of larger things to come...
A terrifying meteorite shower left 1,000 people injured, buildings devastated and the mobile network wiped out when it hit Russia this morning.
Brightly burning rocks could be seen for miles as they crashed at around 9.20am local time and one bystander described it 'like a scene from the Armageddon movie.'
The meteorite landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a town in the neighbouring Chelyabinsk region.
The city of Chelyabinsk, 900 miles east of Moscow and close to the Kazakhstan border, took the brunt of the super sonic impact.
- Large object flashed across the sky at 9.20am local time
- Pictures show a streak of smoke followed by several bright blasts of flames
- 82 of the injured are children and two are in intensive care
- Landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a neighbouring town
- 6,000 square feet of a roof at a zinc factory collapsed
- One local said it 'was like a scene from the Armageddon movie'
- Same day as Asteroid 2012 DA14, which is due to skim Earth's orbit tonight
A terrifying meteorite shower left 1,000 people injured, buildings devastated and the mobile network wiped out when it hit Russia this morning.
Brightly burning rocks could be seen for miles as they crashed at around 9.20am local time and one bystander described it 'like a scene from the Armageddon movie.'
The meteorite landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a town in the neighbouring Chelyabinsk region.
The city of Chelyabinsk, 900 miles east of Moscow and close to the Kazakhstan border, took the brunt of the super sonic impact.
Ice breaker: An official standing near an eight-meter hole left by the meteorite in the surface of a frozen lake near the town of Chebarkul
Debris: Chunks of black matter, ranging between 5mm and 10mm in diameter, were found scattered around the ice hole caused by the meteorite
Investigation: Officials stand around the hole caused by the meteorite strike, which also set off a dangerous sonic boom
Unexpected sight: A terrifying meteorite shower left a thousand people injured, buildings devastated and the mobile network wiped out when it hit Russia this morning
Terrifying: Brightly burning rocks could be seen for hundreds of kilometres as they crashed at around 9.20am local time and one bystander described it 'like a scene from the Armageddon movie'
Spectacular sky: The Urals region was struck by falling meteorite fragments which fell in the city of Chelyabinsk, 900 miles east of Moscow and close to the Kazakhstan border
Before and after: A video showed a street scene in Russia before the meteorite shower struck. Seconds later the street was lit up in a haze of bright white as the large fireball exploded
Speed: Russia's space agency Roscosmos said the meteorite was travelling at a speed of 30 km (19 miles) per second and that such events were hard to predict
The Russian Ministry of Emergencies says 950 people have been injured, 82 of them are children and two are in intensive care.
Many of the injured had bloodied faces and one child's back was seen covered in blood.
Tim O'Brien, associate director of the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory, said the injuries were caused when the meteor created a sonic boom.
'This reasonably large chunk of rock was moving faster than the speed of sound, maybe 20,000 miles per hour. It made a sonic boom in the atmosphere, and that hit buildings and shattered windows. That is what seems to have caused the injuries,' he explained.
However, there were no reports of fatalities and it was not immediately clear if any people were struck by fragments.
According to an unconfirmed report in Russia Today, the meteorite was intercepted by Russian air defense.
The strike came on the same day that Asteroid 2012 DA14 is due to skim the orbit of the Earth tonight.
But astronomers say that it is probably just a coincidence - Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society told MailOnline: 'As I understand it, the Russian meteorite(s) were travelling from east to west whereas 2012 DA14 will be travelling from north to south.'
Chelyabinsk residents reported shaking ground, windows being shattered and car alarms being set off during the shower.
Pictures show a streak of smoke followed by several bright blasts of flames and eyewitnesses spoke of several devastating explosions.
Mobile phones are only working intermittently and there were localised power cuts.
According to RT.com, the Urals regional centre of the Emergency Ministry claimed it sent out a mass text message warning residents about a possible meteorite shower.
I've included this video even though it's not been confirmed that this was part of the Russian meteor impact yet. So this may be from the impact site, but I can't be sure yet.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279020/Russian-meteorite-Moment-meteorite-exploded-doctors-treat-500-people-injured.html#ixzz2KzhQjLkn
The Russian Ministry of Emergencies says 950 people have been injured, 82 of them are children and two are in intensive care.
Many of the injured had bloodied faces and one child's back was seen covered in blood.
Tim O'Brien, associate director of the University of Manchester's Jodrell Bank Observatory, said the injuries were caused when the meteor created a sonic boom.
'This reasonably large chunk of rock was moving faster than the speed of sound, maybe 20,000 miles per hour. It made a sonic boom in the atmosphere, and that hit buildings and shattered windows. That is what seems to have caused the injuries,' he explained.
However, there were no reports of fatalities and it was not immediately clear if any people were struck by fragments.
A six metre wide hole was found in the ground close to Lake Chebarkul, said Russian military sources cited by RIA Novosti news agency.
Earlier it was thought the main body of the meteorite had hit the lake.
'The meteorite that passed over the Chelyabinsk region fell into a body of water 1km from the city of Chebarkul,' said a statement posted on the website of Chelyabinsk governor, Mikhail Yurevich.According to an unconfirmed report in Russia Today, the meteorite was intercepted by Russian air defense.
Interception: According to an unconfirmed report in Russia Today, the meteor was intercepted by Russian air defense
Shockwave: People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave
Smoking: Pictures show a streak of smoke followed by several bright blasts of flames
Coincidence: Early indications are that the shower is unrelated to Asteroid 2012 DA14, which is due to skim the orbit of the Earth later today
High in the sky: The vapour trail of a falling meteorite is seen in the sky over the city of Chelyabinsk
But astronomers say that it is probably just a coincidence - Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society told MailOnline: 'As I understand it, the Russian meteorite(s) were travelling from east to west whereas 2012 DA14 will be travelling from north to south.'
Chelyabinsk residents reported shaking ground, windows being shattered and car alarms being set off during the shower.
Pictures show a streak of smoke followed by several bright blasts of flames and eyewitnesses spoke of several devastating explosions.
Mobile phones are only working intermittently and there were localised power cuts.
According to RT.com, the Urals regional centre of the Emergency Ministry claimed it sent out a mass text message warning residents about a possible meteorite shower.
I've included this video even though it's not been confirmed that this was part of the Russian meteor impact yet. So this may be from the impact site, but I can't be sure yet.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2279020/Russian-meteorite-Moment-meteorite-exploded-doctors-treat-500-people-injured.html#ixzz2KzhQjLkn
