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Satellite Sees Meteor Exploding Like 30 Atom Bombs, Videos 1200 Injured, Largest Meteor In 100 Years, Billions Of Rubles In Damages
Friday, February 15, 2013 1:12
NASA initially estimated the Chelyabinsk meteor was about the size of a bus, weighed 7,000 tons, was the largest to hit Earth in 100 years and detonated with the power of 30 atomic bombs. NASA scientists revised notion is that the meteor was 50 feet (15 meters) and yielded a blast equivalent of 470 kilotons, up from its initial opinion of a 300 kiloton explosion. The nuclear blast at Hiroshima was approximately 16 kilotons. The Chelyabinsk meteor hit the atmosphere at a speed of 64,000 km per hour.
Around 1200 people have sought medical attention in Chelyabinsk alone because of the disaster, the region's governor Mikhail Yurevich told RIA Novosti. Over 110 of them have been hospitalized and two of them are in critical condition. Among the injured there are 159 children, the Russian Emergency ministry reported. A 52-year-old woman who suffered spinal fracture will be transported to Moscow for treatment, according to RussiaToday.
Injuries total near 1000
As reports come in the number of injuries is increasing from the Russian meteor shower, the old total was around 550. As of 14:30 Moscow time, 514 people had sought medical attention in the disaster area, 112 of whom were hospitalized .Among the injured there are 84 children, according to the Russian Emergency ministry. The number soon grew to more than 700. The injury toll has since climbed to about 900 people according to new reports from RussiaToday. Among the injured there are 159 children, Emergency ministry reported. Now reports have grown to 1000 injured, the blast broke more than 100 thousand square meters of windows.
Based on the duration of the event, it was a very shallow entry. It was larger than the meteor over Indonesia on Oct. 8, 2009. Measurements are still coming in, and a more precise measure of the energy may be available later. The size of the object before hitting the atmosphere was about 49 feet (15 meters) and had a mass of about 7,000 tons.
The meteor, which was about one-third the diameter of asteroid 2012 DA14, was brighter than the sun. Its trail was visible for about 30 seconds, so it was a grazing impact through the atmosphere.It is important to note that this estimate is preliminary, and may be revised as more data is obtained. http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/asteroidflyby.html
Around 1200 people have sought medical attention in Chelyabinsk alone because of the disaster, the region's governor Mikhail Yurevich told RIA Novosti. Over 110 of them have been hospitalized and two of them are in critical condition. Among the injured there are 159 children, the Russian Emergency ministry reported. A 52-year-old woman who suffered spinal fracture will be transported to Moscow for treatment, according to RussiaToday.
The meteor that exploded over the Urals of central Russia was seen by Eumetsat's Meteosat-9, at the edge of the satellite view. Hundreds of people were reportedly injured as the meteor's massive sonic boom caused widespread damage.
The blast is thought to have occurred at an altitude of 50 kilometers, according to a Russian astrophysicist. According toValery Shuvalov of the Institute of Geosphere Dynamics RAS, the meteorite most likely was a type of iron-nickel meteorite, as only those objects are strong enough to reach the lower layers of the atmosphere. According to him, "This body is probably the size of the order of meters and a mass of several tons." The blast has been described as having the power of a small nuclear device.
A screen shot of the meteor explosion.
Injuries total near 1000
As reports come in the number of injuries is increasing from the Russian meteor shower, the old total was around 550. As of 14:30 Moscow time, 514 people had sought medical attention in the disaster area, 112 of whom were hospitalized .Among the injured there are 84 children, according to the Russian Emergency ministry. The number soon grew to more than 700. The injury toll has since climbed to about 900 people according to new reports from RussiaToday. Among the injured there are 159 children, Emergency ministry reported. Now reports have grown to 1000 injured, the blast broke more than 100 thousand square meters of windows.
NASA Says Meteor Unrealted to Asteroid 2012 DA14
A meteor seen flying over Russia on Feb. 15 at 3:20: 26 UTC impacted Chelyabinsk. Preliminary information is that this object was unrelated to asteroid 2012 DA14, which made a safe pass by Earth on January 15.
According to NASA scientists, the trajectory of the Russia meteor was significantly different than the trajectory of the asteroid 2012 DA14, making it a completely unrelated object. Information is still being collected about the Russia meteor and analysis is preliminary at this point. In videos of the meteor, it is seen to pass from left to right in front of the rising sun, which means it was traveling from north to south. Asteroid DA14's trajectory is in the opposite direction, from south to north."
Preliminary information indicates that a meteor in Chelyabinsk, Russia, is not related to asteroid 2012 DA14, which is flying by Earth safely today.
Image credit: Google Earth, NASA/JPL-Caltech
The meteor, which was about one-third the diameter of asteroid 2012 DA14, was brighter than the sun. Its trail was visible for about 30 seconds, so it was a grazing impact through the atmosphere.It is important to note that this estimate is preliminary, and may be revised as more data is obtained. http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/asteroidflyby.html
Russian President Vladimir Putin sends emergency experts to measure meteorite damage
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent emergency agency’s officials to guage the damage to energy facilities caused by the meteor shower Russia’s Urals region. The head of state said local authorities were in control of the situation, but stressed they could do with extra help. Emergency experts will gauge the damage done to the region's communication network and energy facilities.
Russian meteorite weighed 10 tons
The meteorite that struck the Russian region of Chelyabinsk was several meters in diameter, weighed around a dozen tons and had the energy of several kilotons, experts from the Russian Academy of Science say.
According to their estimates, the space object entered the atmosphere at a speed of 15-20 kilometers per second and burst into flames some 30-50 kilometers off the ground reports the Voice Of russia
The fragments of the asteroid left a blazing trail in the sky and caused a strong hit wave. Most of the debris evaporated, while the remaining fragments froze over and could have come down as meteorites, scientists explained.
The meteorite that struck the Russian region of Chelyabinsk was several meters in diameter, weighed around a dozen tons and had the energy of several kilotons, experts from the Russian Academy of Science say.
According to their estimates, the space object entered the atmosphere at a speed of 15-20 kilometers per second and burst into flames some 30-50 kilometers off the ground reports the Voice Of russia
The fragments of the asteroid left a blazing trail in the sky and caused a strong hit wave. Most of the debris evaporated, while the remaining fragments froze over and could have come down as meteorites, scientists explained.
Russian scientists have speculated about the origin of the meteorite exploded in the early morning of the Chelyabinsk region. There is a theory that it could be one of the fragments of asteroid 2012 DA14, which is approaching near the Earth. According to NASA, its diameter greater than a football field. It is expected that the asteroid will approach the minimum distance from the earth - from 15-20 thousand kilometers (an area of the satellite communications) at 23.25 Moscow time. NASA plans to conduct a live video streaming live on the internet.
According to preliminary assessments carried out at the request of the Department of Science Russian astronomers the culprit responsible for "meteor shower" could have been a celestial body with a diameter of 10 meters. The power of the explosion can be estimated in the tens or even hundreds of kilotons of TNT equivalent, that is, it looks like a small atomic bomb blast, said respondents.
Videos, which were recorded and the flash and the sound , allow to estimate the height of the explosion - it is 43-47 km. The body, which caused an explosion, may be a stony meteorite or even a mini-comet.
Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Theoretical Physics, CSU Alexander Dudorov said It was” a piece of the cosmic body, which invaded the Earth's atmosphere, but it burned down before reaching the surface - said Dudorov.
- A large outbreak that occurred - it is just the end of the life of the car.
And that thin, that flew further, a meteorite - the cosmic body is not more than a meter, weighing several kilograms. "
The powerful glow, Dudorov explained, was due to the fact that the subject is highly warmed up in the atmosphere. "A solid becomes a gas, expanding, was a very powerful light. But inside it could have been a metal body, which flew on, "-said Dudorov. He did not rule out that this meteorite was flying along with the asteroid 2012 DA14.
Chelyabinsk astrophysicist, PhD, Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics, Chelyabinsk State University Sergei Zamozdra claims that the city now formed the ozone hole.
According to preliminary assessments carried out at the request of the Department of Science Russian astronomers the culprit responsible for "meteor shower" could have been a celestial body with a diameter of 10 meters. The power of the explosion can be estimated in the tens or even hundreds of kilotons of TNT equivalent, that is, it looks like a small atomic bomb blast, said respondents.
Videos, which were recorded and the flash and the sound , allow to estimate the height of the explosion - it is 43-47 km. The body, which caused an explosion, may be a stony meteorite or even a mini-comet.
Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Theoretical Physics, CSU Alexander Dudorov said It was” a piece of the cosmic body, which invaded the Earth's atmosphere, but it burned down before reaching the surface - said Dudorov.
- A large outbreak that occurred - it is just the end of the life of the car.
And that thin, that flew further, a meteorite - the cosmic body is not more than a meter, weighing several kilograms. "
The powerful glow, Dudorov explained, was due to the fact that the subject is highly warmed up in the atmosphere. "A solid becomes a gas, expanding, was a very powerful light. But inside it could have been a metal body, which flew on, "-said Dudorov. He did not rule out that this meteorite was flying along with the asteroid 2012 DA14.
Chelyabinsk astrophysicist, PhD, Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics, Chelyabinsk State University Sergei Zamozdra claims that the city now formed the ozone hole.
"When an object enters the atmosphere and explodes, it first destroys the ozone layer. And, of course, be upon us now is a small ozone hole, and we get a small amount more ultraviolet radiation, "- said Zamozdra to " Gazeta.ru ".
The Astrophysicist explained that the object was flying from space at a speed of about 10 kilometers per second. "It blew up at altitude, in my estimation, 50 kilometers, because the shock waves arrived about two minutes after the explosion. And the sound is three seconds to overcome one kilometer - says Zamozdra. - Next to the fragment, probably went in the direction of Miass, somewhere in that area may lie a real meteorite or crater. " He added that he is not afraid of radioactive contamination. "Most meteorites are not radioactive. The most powerful is the effect - a flash of light and a shock wave, "- says Zamozdra.
Talking about whether it was possible to predict the location of a meteorite, an astrophysicist explained that in reality it is a difficult task. "It's hard to predict that the meteorite fall is near Chelyabinsk. The error in this calculation is up to 500 miles - said Zamozdra. - At the Earth each year fall so much aerolites, but judging by the flash, it was very heavy. This event takes place on Earth every 20-30 years. "
Damages Reach 1-Billilon Rubles
The damage caused by a meteorite impact was a billion rubles, according to the "Interfax" . "Over one billion will be caused. Only on the Ice Palace "Ural Lightning" - 200 million rubles, "- said the governor of Chelyabinsk region Mikhail Yurevich.
According to him, an ice palace "Ural Lightning" suffered the most. Supporting structures are damaged, damaged three transverse beams.
As explained Minister of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Chelyabinsk region Yuri Serebryannikov, because of damage to the palace will be closed for a month and a half. "Things have to go. Competitions are also canceled, "- said Serebryannikov.
Three meteorite crash sites found in Chelyabinsk
Three craters have been discovered in the Russian Chelyabinsk region following the crash of three meteorite fragments earlier on Friday, a source with local police has said according to reporting by the Voice of Russia. As of now, the situation room has received reports saying that three meteorite impact points have been found,” a press office member said.
Region Where Meteor Blast Took Place
"According to the latest information an operations center has been set up at the request of Governor Mikhail Yurevich, the meteor passed over the territory of the Chelyabinsk region and fell into the pool, 1 km from the city of Chebarkul," - according to a press release.
Meanwhile, a leading expert of the Chebarkulsky urban district civil defense Yuri Gulyakov told "Gazeta.ru" that there are about 550 victims from destruction caused by an impact iof the blast on the city. Information on the exact site of the crash of a celestial body official has not been released.
The Astrophysicist explained that the object was flying from space at a speed of about 10 kilometers per second. "It blew up at altitude, in my estimation, 50 kilometers, because the shock waves arrived about two minutes after the explosion. And the sound is three seconds to overcome one kilometer - says Zamozdra. - Next to the fragment, probably went in the direction of Miass, somewhere in that area may lie a real meteorite or crater. " He added that he is not afraid of radioactive contamination. "Most meteorites are not radioactive. The most powerful is the effect - a flash of light and a shock wave, "- says Zamozdra.
Talking about whether it was possible to predict the location of a meteorite, an astrophysicist explained that in reality it is a difficult task. "It's hard to predict that the meteorite fall is near Chelyabinsk. The error in this calculation is up to 500 miles - said Zamozdra. - At the Earth each year fall so much aerolites, but judging by the flash, it was very heavy. This event takes place on Earth every 20-30 years. "
Damages Reach 1-Billilon Rubles
The damage caused by a meteorite impact was a billion rubles, according to the "Interfax" . "Over one billion will be caused. Only on the Ice Palace "Ural Lightning" - 200 million rubles, "- said the governor of Chelyabinsk region Mikhail Yurevich.
According to him, an ice palace "Ural Lightning" suffered the most. Supporting structures are damaged, damaged three transverse beams.
As explained Minister of Physical Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Chelyabinsk region Yuri Serebryannikov, because of damage to the palace will be closed for a month and a half. "Things have to go. Competitions are also canceled, "- said Serebryannikov.
Three meteorite crash sites found in Chelyabinsk
Three craters have been discovered in the Russian Chelyabinsk region following the crash of three meteorite fragments earlier on Friday, a source with local police has said according to reporting by the Voice of Russia. As of now, the situation room has received reports saying that three meteorite impact points have been found,” a press office member said.
Two fragments were allegedly discovered in the Chebarkul district, while another one came down near Zlatoustye.
The Chelyabinsk meteorite fell into the lake near the town of Chebarkul. This was reported on the website of Chelyabinsk Region Governor.
Army units found three meteorite debris impact sites, two of which are in an area near Chebarkul Lake, west of Chelyabinsk. The third site was found some 80 kilometers further to the northwest, near the town of Zlatoust. One of the fragments that struck near Chebarkul left a crater six meters in diameter.
Servicemembers from the tank brigade that found the crater have confirmed that background radiation levels at the site are normal.
"According to the latest information an operations center has been set up at the request of Governor Mikhail Yurevich, the meteor passed over the territory of the Chelyabinsk region and fell into the pool, 1 km from the city of Chebarkul," - according to a press release.
Meanwhile, a leading expert of the Chebarkulsky urban district civil defense Yuri Gulyakov told "Gazeta.ru" that there are about 550 victims from destruction caused by an impact iof the blast on the city. Information on the exact site of the crash of a celestial body official has not been released.
Rescuers have not yet found fragments of the meteorite, which burnt in the sky over the Urals, according to "Interfax" ireports from the Information Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.
"As of 12.00 MSK falling objects were detected and air reconnaissance was conducted by seven aircraft iwhich have been inspecting the Chebarkul, Etkulsky, Satka and Asha areas and Miass and Zlatoust, Chelyabinsk region ", - according to the MOE.
MES earlier reported that no debris in the Chelyabinsk region has been found , and all the damage was caused only by the shock wave.
According to the Interior Ministry, the number of victims from a meteorite blast in the Chelyabinsk region was about 400 people but that number has grown to 550.
"It was destroyed in the atmosphere creating a cloud of fragments, that resulted in a shock wave and burst of light. Hence the flash and broken windows. Much of the material has evaporated, the remaining pieces stalled and fell. But the exact location on the wreckage has not been determined "- said the scientist.
Another Tunguska Event?
A series of explosions in the skies of Russia’s Urals region, reportedly caused by a meteorite shower, has sparked panic in three major cities. Witnesses said that houses shuddered, windows were blown out and cellphones have stopped working. According to unconfirmed reports, the meteorite was intercepted by an air defense unit at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk. A missile salvo reportedly blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers. More here
Atmospheric phenomena have been registered in the cities of Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg and Tyumen. Some believe it is related to the approaching asteroid 2012 DA14.
Military Intervention:
According to unconfirmed reports, the meteorite was intercepted by an air defense unit at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk. A missile salvo blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers, local newspaper Znak reports quoting a source in the military.
Regnum news agency quoted a military source who claimed that the vapor condensation trail of the meteorite speaks to the fact that the meteorite was intercepted by air defenses.
Army units found three meteorite debris impact sites, two of which are in an area near Chebarkul Lake, west of Chelyabinsk. The third site was found some 80 kilometers further to the northwest, near the town of Zlatoust.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos has confirmed the object that crashed in the Chelyabinsk region is a meteorite and is not of technological origin. “According to preliminary estimates, this space object is of non-technogenic origin and qualifies as a meteorite. It was moving at a low trajectory with a speed of about 30 km/per second.” The landing area of any fragments has not yet been determined and such objects are difficult to track according to Roskosmos
Factory Destroyed
A roof collapsed into Chelyabinsk region when a meteorite destroyed a Zinc Factory. Pictures of the affected companies have appeared in Twitter. The blast affected areas as far away as 80 kilometers.
Photo: vk.com
Reporter standing next to meteor blasted factory wall
Military Intervention:
According to unconfirmed reports, the meteorite was intercepted by an air defense unit at the Urzhumka settlement near Chelyabinsk. A missile salvo blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers, local newspaper Znak reports quoting a source in the military.
Regnum news agency quoted a military source who claimed that the vapor condensation trail of the meteorite speaks to the fact that the meteorite was intercepted by air defenses.
Army units found three meteorite debris impact sites, two of which are in an area near Chebarkul Lake, west of Chelyabinsk. The third site was found some 80 kilometers further to the northwest, near the town of Zlatoust.
The Russian space agency Roskosmos has confirmed the object that crashed in the Chelyabinsk region is a meteorite and is not of technological origin. “According to preliminary estimates, this space object is of non-technogenic origin and qualifies as a meteorite. It was moving at a low trajectory with a speed of about 30 km/per second.” The landing area of any fragments has not yet been determined and such objects are difficult to track according to Roskosmos
Factory Destroyed
A roof collapsed into Chelyabinsk region when a meteorite destroyed a Zinc Factory. Pictures of the affected companies have appeared in Twitter. The blast affected areas as far away as 80 kilometers.
It is reported that after the fall of the meteorite fragments in the factory caught fire.
Photo: vk.com
Reporter standing next to meteor blasted factory wall
One user posted a photo go to the factory, which is badly damaged ceiling. Presumably, the damage caused by the samples Samples wall fragments of a meteorite.
The plant has been reported that the broken wall of the concentrate storage, do not pose environmental hazards and damaged government buildings. Four people from the staff were slightly injured.
Building with windows blasted out by shockwave from the meteor air burst
Photo: vk.com
In many homes, the shock wave blew out windows and in some buildings roofs collapsed, also broken electric wires are reported
Photo: Eugene Hazhey / ITAR-TASS
First Shard Of Meteorite Found
Armored Brigade soldiers discovered a meteorite impact site on Lake Chebarkul in the Chelyabinsk region. The meteor shard is in a crater of six meters The military got to the crash site of one of the fragments of the Chelyabinsk meteorite near lake Chebarkul. According to RIA Novosti, the representative of the Central Military District Colonel Jaroslav Roshchupkin on the shore tank crews discovered six-meter crater.
Jaroslav Roshchupkin , spokesman CVO: "On the shores of Lake Chebarkul, opposite the same name, the military separate tank brigade found the place the alleged fall of a fragment of a meteorite - a funnel diameter of about six meters."
Servicemen measured radiation level on the site of a meteorite. According to a representative of the Armed Forces, the radiation level does not exceed the norm.
Dozens of pieces of debris from large meteor reached Earth - Emergency Situations Ministry
The plant has been reported that the broken wall of the concentrate storage, do not pose environmental hazards and damaged government buildings. Four people from the staff were slightly injured.
Building with windows blasted out by shockwave from the meteor air burst
Photo: vk.com
In many homes, the shock wave blew out windows and in some buildings roofs collapsed, also broken electric wires are reported
First Shard Of Meteorite Found
Armored Brigade soldiers discovered a meteorite impact site on Lake Chebarkul in the Chelyabinsk region. The meteor shard is in a crater of six meters The military got to the crash site of one of the fragments of the Chelyabinsk meteorite near lake Chebarkul. According to RIA Novosti, the representative of the Central Military District Colonel Jaroslav Roshchupkin on the shore tank crews discovered six-meter crater.
Jaroslav Roshchupkin , spokesman CVO: "On the shores of Lake Chebarkul, opposite the same name, the military separate tank brigade found the place the alleged fall of a fragment of a meteorite - a funnel diameter of about six meters."
Servicemen measured radiation level on the site of a meteorite. According to a representative of the Armed Forces, the radiation level does not exceed the norm.
Dozens of pieces of debris from large meteor reached Earth - Emergency Situations Ministry
The meteorite that fell in the Chelyabinsk region fell into several dozen large pieces, Russian Emergency Situations Minister Vladimir Puchkov said.
"There were several dozen fairly large pieces, of which some reached Earth. Special groups of scientists are now studying these pieces at the site," Puchkov told reporters on Friday.
A laboratory has been deployed in the emergency area, he said. The radiation levels are normal and no chemically dangerous emissions have been registered, he said.
"There is no threat to people's lives or health from other factors either," Puchkov said. The chemical composition of the pieces will be determined after a comprehensive analysis.
Meteor debris should not be touched - Emergency Situations Ministry
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has warned about the dangers of coming near meteorite debris, which can be found in the Urals.
First Report of Injuries
Chelyabinsk regional administration made a special annoucement , which encouraged people to return home and pick up the kids from school. Local officials made it clear that in many homes broken glass. Background radiation in the region is normal, added the administration.
Earlier it was reported that when a meteorite hit the four students. teenagers were injured by broken glass, broken by the blast.
A fragment of the meteorite, which fell over the Urals and injured hundreds of people may have fallen in Tavda - on the border of the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions, according to Znak.com citing the local Duma deputy Viktor Nikulin. According to Nikulin, the message was received from the villagers from an area 10 kilometers south of Tavda.
"There went to the police. The residents claim that their houses were shaking, "- explained Nikulin. Residents of the Tavda claim that did see a bright light in the sky, but no explosions were heard.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Situations says there are signs of meterorites falling in the Tyumen region.
In Chelyabinsk, witnesses said the explosion was so loud that it resembled an earthquake and thunder at the same time, and that there were huge trails of smoke across the sky. Others reported seeing burning objects fall to earth, according to The Voice of Russia.
"There were several dozen fairly large pieces, of which some reached Earth. Special groups of scientists are now studying these pieces at the site," Puchkov told reporters on Friday.
A laboratory has been deployed in the emergency area, he said. The radiation levels are normal and no chemically dangerous emissions have been registered, he said.
"There is no threat to people's lives or health from other factors either," Puchkov said. The chemical composition of the pieces will be determined after a comprehensive analysis.
Meteor debris should not be touched - Emergency Situations Ministry
The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry has warned about the dangers of coming near meteorite debris, which can be found in the Urals.
First Report of Injuries
Chelyabinsk regional administration made a special annoucement , which encouraged people to return home and pick up the kids from school. Local officials made it clear that in many homes broken glass. Background radiation in the region is normal, added the administration.
Earlier it was reported that when a meteorite hit the four students. teenagers were injured by broken glass, broken by the blast.
A fragment of the meteorite, which fell over the Urals and injured hundreds of people may have fallen in Tavda - on the border of the Sverdlovsk and Tyumen regions, according to Znak.com citing the local Duma deputy Viktor Nikulin. According to Nikulin, the message was received from the villagers from an area 10 kilometers south of Tavda.
"There went to the police. The residents claim that their houses were shaking, "- explained Nikulin. Residents of the Tavda claim that did see a bright light in the sky, but no explosions were heard.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Emergency Situations says there are signs of meterorites falling in the Tyumen region.
Office buildings in downtown Chelyabinsk were evacuated. The regional Emergency Ministry said the phenomenon was a meteorite shower, but locals have speculated that it was a military fighter jet crash or a missile explosion.
More than 470 people sought help after the fall of meteorite fragments in the Chelyabinsk region, 22 of them were hospitalized. That's according to the head of the National Center for Crisis Management Emergency Situations Vladimir Stepanov on radio station "Vesti FM", and the broadcast was quoted by RIA "Novosti".
"Among them, 10 children were affected, with serious injuries," - said Stepanov.
Meanwhile, the number of hospitalized immediately in Chelyabinsk increased to nine. This was reported on the official website of the city administration.
"According to the Department of Health Administration of Chelyabinsk, at 13.00 on February 15, 367 people, including 58 children were seeking medical help in the city . This includes 35 ambulance calls, the rest went to the hospital emergency room on their own. 9 people were hospitalized, including two children. Injuries were caused mainly by broken glass after the blast shattered windows, "- according to a statement.
This video shows panic in a school after the exploding meteor"Among them, 10 children were affected, with serious injuries," - said Stepanov.
Meanwhile, the number of hospitalized immediately in Chelyabinsk increased to nine. This was reported on the official website of the city administration.
"According to the Department of Health Administration of Chelyabinsk, at 13.00 on February 15, 367 people, including 58 children were seeking medical help in the city . This includes 35 ambulance calls, the rest went to the hospital emergency room on their own. 9 people were hospitalized, including two children. Injuries were caused mainly by broken glass after the blast shattered windows, "- according to a statement.
As a result of a meteorite in the Chelyabinsk region many houses and building had their glass windows blown out. As many as 130 students were injured from cuts, according to "Interfax", the press center of the Interior Ministry.
According to the press center, in the Chelyabinsk region in the area of Satka about 80 km from the district center where the meteorite fell, many Satka homes and buildings, facing towards Chelyabinsk the site of the crash had their glass windows destroyed.
Chelyabinsk falling meteorite impact
According to the press center, in the Chelyabinsk region in the area of Satka about 80 km from the district center where the meteorite fell, many Satka homes and buildings, facing towards Chelyabinsk the site of the crash had their glass windows destroyed.
Chelyabinsk falling meteorite impact
Read more: http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/463157/#ixzz2Kx5VSD33
Scientist: meteorite fall in the Chelyabinsk region could cause a ozone hole
Scientist: meteorite fall in the Chelyabinsk region could cause a ozone hole
The consequence of a meteorite in the Chelyabinsk region could cause an ozone hole in the atmsophere, acciord to PhD, Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics, Chelyabinsk State University Sergei Zamozdra speaking with "Gazety.Ru"
http://www.infowars.com/russian-meteor-linked-to-da14-asteroid/
( additional video at the link... )
Russian Meteor Shower Linked to DA14 Asteroid?
“It was like a scene from the Armageddon movie”
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
February 15, 2013
Infowars.com
February 15, 2013
Experts are pondering whether a meteorite shower which caused panic in Russia, injuring over 500 people, devastating buildings and wiping out the cell phone network, is linked to today’s fly-by of DA14, the “city killer” asteroid that NASA has assured will not hit the earth.
The meteor shower, which was dramatically captured by numerous people on cell phone videos, was described by some as “like a scene from the Armageddon movie,” with YouTube clips showing a trail appearing across the sky before a dazzling bright object appears followed by loud booms.
The rocks crashed at around 9:20am local time, mainly over the sparsely populated city of Chelyabinsk, 900 miles east of Moscow. 20,000 rescue workers have been sent to aid recovery efforts, with the full extent of the damage not yet known. Windows were smashed and buildings were devastated, including the 6,000 square feet roof of a zinc factory, as some residents feared “doomsday” had arrived.
The main chunk of the meteor fell into a frozen lake, creating a huge hole in the ice. Experts are still undecided whether the event was caused by a meteor shower or a single meteor, as well as whether the damage was caused by the shock wave or actual debris, although residents reported fireballs crashing to the ground.
Space experts are divided on whether the meteor is connected to today’s fly-by of asteroid DA14, which will pass within 17,200 miles of the earth’s surface, closer than many orbiting satellites.
The European Space Agency (ESA) put out a message on its official Twitter account claiming that the meteor shower was not debris from the DA14 asteroid.
However, Tatiana Bordovitsina, an astronomy professor at Tomsk State University in western Siberia, told RIA Novosti that the meteor, “could have been debris preceding the asteroid.”
Professor Ian Crawford of Birkbeck University told Sky News that, “it was too early to tell if this incident was connected to the asteroid passing by the earth tonight,” but added that if meteorites were traveling with the asteroid, they would be several hours ahead of it.
Curtin University asteroid expert Phil Bland told an Australian website, “Is it connected to the flyby? A lot of folks would say “no”. Personally, I’ve always kind of liked the idea that there are streams of asteroid debris – so you can have smaller stuff that precede and trail a bigger object. It seems like an awful big coincidence if it’s not connected.”
Simon O’Toole, an astronomer at the Australian Astronomical Observatory, thinks that there is unlikely to be a connection. “As pointed out elsewhere, DA14 is still half a million kilometres away, travelling at 8km per second, for a start! Could it be part of the asteroid that has broken away and reached earth already? This seems unlikely to me,” he said.
Dr Stephen Lowry, planetary scientist at the University of Kent, doubted the connection but remarked that the meteorite shower was “an incredible conincidence.”
“If I had to bet, I would say it’s not related. But it’s not unheard of for asteroids to have companion bodies with them,” said Mark Ford of the British and Irish Meteorite Society.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reacted to the incident by warning that the “whole planet” is vulnerable to near-earth objects, while nationalist leader Vladimir Zhirinovsky even claimed the event was actually “the test of a new weapon by the Americans,” adding that, “[Secretary of state John] Kerry warned [foreign minister Sergei] Lavrov on Monday … that there would be such a provocation and that it might affect Russia.”
Officials issued a statement assuring that no nuclear sites had been hit by the meteor and that no radiation leaks had been recorded.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-02-15/meteor-travelling-19-miles-second-explodes-over-russian-urals-500-injured-video
Meteor Travelling At 19 Miles Per Second Explodes Over Russian Urals, 500 Injured - Video
In perhaps the oddest news of the day, workers in the Chelyabinsk region in the Russian Urals were greeted this morning with a spectacular show: an exploding meteor. Bloomberg reports "A meteor exploded in the skies above Russia’s Urals region and sent shock waves that shattered windows, hurting hundreds of people, hours before an asteroid half the size of a football field hurtles past the Earth. The meteor broke apart above the Chelyabinsk region at about 7:25 a.m. Moscow time, the Emergencies Ministry’s division in the Urals district said today on its website. “A serious meteor fell,” billionaire Sergey Galitskiy, chief executive officer of OAO Magnit, Russia’s biggest food retailer by value, said in a post on his Twitter Inc. account. “At our hypermarket in Emanzhelinsk, windows were blown out, the roof shook, there was a strong shock wave.” More than 290 people reported injuries, according to the website of Chelyabinsk Region Governor Mikhail Yurevich. The number may be higher than 500, Interfax reported, citing an unidentified Interior Ministry official."
From Reuters:
People heading to work in Chelyabinsk heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave according to a Reuters correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow.A fireball blazed across the horizon, leaving a long white trail in its wake which could be seen as far as 200 km (125 miles) away in Yekaterinburg. Car alarms went off, windows shattered and mobile phone networks were interrupted."I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," said Viktor Prokofiev, 36, a resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains."I felt like I was blinded by headlights," he said.
No fatalities were reported but President Vladimir Putin, who was due to host Finance Ministry officials from the Group of 20 nations in Moscow, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were informed.A local ministry official said such incidents were extremely rare and Friday's events might have been linked to an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool due to pass Earth at a distance of 27,520 km (17,100 miles) but this was not confirmed.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 Interior Ministry said the meteorite explosion had caused a sonic boom.
Russia's Emergencies Ministry said 514 people had sought medical help, mainly for light injuries caused by flying glass, and that 112 of those were kept in hospital. Search groups were set up to look for the remains of the meteorite.Unlike the Tunguska meteor of 1908 Siberia fame, there was no actual land collision: "The meteorite may have fallen into a body of water about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the city of Chebarkul, national television channel Rossiya 24 reported. The meteorite may have weighed 1 kilogram, according to the television company’s website. As many as 20,000 emergency staff and three aircraft have been deployed in the Urals region, the ministry said."Sentiment on the ground that this is nothing but a crashing UFO was promptly squashed by the government, and moments ago the emergency minister denied a report that the meteorite was shot down by Russian military.
And in these days of the ubiquitous video smartphones, there were many video capturing this meteor in teal time.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/2/15/worldupdates/150-hurt-as-meteorite-hits-central-russia&sec=Worldupdates
YEKATERINBURG/CHELYABINSK, Russia (Reuters) - A meteorite shot across the sky in central Russia early on Friday and sent fireballs crashing to Earth, smashing windows, setting off car alarms and injuring 150 people.
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The trail of a falling object is seen above a residential apartment block in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, in this still image taken from video shot on February 15, 2013. REUTERS/OOO Spetszakaz
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Residents heard what sounded like an explosion, saw a bright light and then felt a shockwave as they went to work in Chelyabinsk, according to a Reuters correspondent in the industrial city 1,500 km (950 miles) east of Moscow.
The meteorite then raced across the horizon, leaving a long trail of white smoke in its wake which could be seen as far as 200 km (125 miles) away in Yekaterinburg. Car alarms went off, windows shattered and mobile phones worked only intermittently.
"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," said Viktor Prokofiev, a 36-year-old resident of Yekaterinburg in the Urals Mountains.
"I felt like I was blinded by headlights," he said.
No fatalities were reported but President Vladimir Putin, who was due to host Finance Ministry officials from the Group of 20 nations in Moscow, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were quickly informed.
The Emergencies Ministry said 150 people had been hurt, mainly by flying glass.
A local ministry official said the meteor shower may have been connected with an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool that was due to pass Earth at a distance of 27,520 km (17,100 miles) but this could not be confirmed.
Windows were shattered on Chelyabinsk's central Lenin Street and some of the frames of shop fronts buckled.
A loud noise, resembling an explosion, rang out at around 9:20 a.m. (5:20 a.m. British time). The shockwave could be felt in apartment buildings in the industrial city's centre.
"I was standing at a bus stop, seeing off my girlfriend," said Andrei, a local resident who did not give his second name. "Then there was a flash, and I saw a trail of smoke across the sky and felt a shockwave that smashed windows."
A wall was damaged at the nearby Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant but there was no environmental threat, a plant spokeswoman said.
Such incidents are rare in Russia. A meteorite is thought to have devastated an area of more than 2,000 square km (1,250 miles) in Siberia in 1908, smashing windows as far as 200 km (125 miles) from the point of impact.
The Emergencies Ministry described Friday's events as a "meteor shower in the form of fireballs" and said background radiation levels were normal. It urged residents not to panic.
Chelyabinsk city authorities urged people to stay indoors unless they needed to pick up their children from schools and kindergartens. They said a blast had been heard at an altitude of 10,000 metres (32,800 feet), apparently signalling it occurred when the meteorite entered Earth's atmosphere.
The U.S. space agency NASA has said an asteroid known as 2012 DA14, about 150 feet (46 metres) in diameter, would have an encounter with Earth closer than any asteroid since scientists began routinely monitoring them about 15 years ago.
Television, weather and communications satellites fly about 500 miles (800 km) higher. The moon is 14 times farther away.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21468116
Meteor strike injures hundreds in central Russia
A meteor crashing in Russia's Ural mountains has injured at least 500 people, as the shockwave blew out windows and rocked buildings.
Most of those hurt suffered minor cuts and bruises but some received head injuries, Russian officials report.
A fireball was seen streaking through the clear morning sky above the city of Yekaterinburg, followed by loud bangs.
President Vladimir Putin said he thanked God no big fragments had fallen in populated areas.
A large meteor fragment landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a town in the neighbouring Chelyabinsk region.
Much of the impact was felt in the city of Chelyabinsk, some 200km (125 miles) south of Yekaterinburg.
"It was quite extraordinary," Chelyabinsk resident Polina Zolotarevskaya told BBC News. "We saw a very bright light and then there was a kind of a track, white and yellow in the sky."
"The explosion was so strong that some windows in our building and in the buildings that are across the road and in the city in general, the windows broke."
Officials say a large meteor partially burned up in the lower atmosphere, resulting in fragments falling earthwards.
Thousands of rescue workers have been dispatched to the area to provide help to the injured, the emergencies ministry said.
The Chelyabinsk region, about 1,500km (930 miles) east of Moscow, is home to many factories, a nuclear power plant and the Mayak atomic waste storage and treatment centre.
'Blinding'
Of 514 people injured in the Chelyabinsk region, 11 were being treated in hospital, the regional emergencies agency said in a statement.
Mr Putin promised "immediate" aid for people affected, saying kindergartens and schools had been damaged, and work disrupted at industrial enterprises.
Many children were at lessons when the meteor fell at around 09:20 (03:20 GMT).
Video posted online showed frightened, screaming youngsters at one Chelyabinsk school, where corridors were littered with broken glass.
Chelyabinsk resident Sergei Serskov told BBC News the city had felt like a "war zone" for 20 to 30 minutes.
"I was in the office when suddenly I saw a really bright flash in the window in front of me," he said.
"Then I smelt fumes. I looked out the window and saw a huge line of smoke, like you get from a plane but many times bigger."
"A few minutes later the window suddenly came open and there was a huge explosion, followed by lots of little explosions."
In Yekaterinburg, 36-year-old resident Viktor Prokofiev was driving to work when he witnessed the event.
"It was quite dark, but it suddenly became as bright as if it was day," he was quoted by Reuters as saying.
"I felt like I was blinded by headlights."
Debris also reportedly fell on the west Siberian region of Tyumen.
The governor of Chelyabinsk region, Mikhail Yurevich, reported that the meteor had landed in a lake 1km outside Chebarkul, which has a population of 46,000.
A Russian army spokesman said a crater six metres (yards) wide had been found on the shore of the lake.
Asteroid coincidence
The Russian Academy of Sciences estimates that the meteor weighed about 10 tonnes and entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of at least 54,000 km/h (33,000mph).
It would have shattered about 30-50km (18-32 miles) above ground, with most of the meteor burning up.
Scientists have played down suggestions that there is any link between the event in the Urals and 2012 DA14, an asteroid expected to race past the Earth on Friday at a distance of just 27,700km (17,200 miles) - the closest ever predicted for an object of that size.
Prof Alan Fitzsimmons, of the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen's University Belfast, said there was "almost definitely" no connection.
"One reason is that 2012 DA14 is approaching Earth from the south, and this object hit in the northern hemisphere," he told BBC News.
"This is literally a cosmic coincidence, although a spectacular one."
Such meteor strikes are rare in Russia but one is thought to have devastated an area of more than 2,000 sq km (1,250m) in Siberia in 1908.
