A white contrail left by a meteor. Gorbunova Viktoria Itar-Tass Photos/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: tassphotoslive419520
Was anyone really surprised that a meteor exploded over Russia this morning? The fact that a large meteor (meteorite? is there a difference?) entered the atmosphere and exploded causing a huge shock wave to blow out windows and set off car alarms is pretty novel … but as soon as I found out it happened in Russia, it just seemed natural (on a scale of the Republicans blocking Chuck Hagel’s nomination as zero surprise to the pope resigning as pretty surprising, it’s in the middle). It gives the “meanwhile in Russia” meme new life, I’m sure.
Amateur video posted online (and embedded below) shows some awesome scenes of the fireball streaking across morning the sky, lighting everything up like it was noon. Then there are the videos showing the massive sonic boom that rocked the area less than a minute later. The blast was so strong it shattered glass, set off car alarms, and even partially caved in the roof at a zinc factory. Nearly 1,000 people were injured from the event, mostly from flying glass.
The pictures we have from our partners ITAR-Tass and others, show the contrail left over from the meteor’s path and explosion (the pictures remind me of a space shuttle taking off). They also show a lot of the damage, with many windows blown out, building debris on the roads and sidewalk, and people sweeping up massive amounts of glass.
Check out the photos we have in this post, then head back to Newscom to see more pictures of the Russian meteor.
Metor over Russia graphic. AFP/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: afpgfxlive361340
A hole in the Chebarkul Lake made by meteor fragments. A meteor shower hit Russia’s Chelyabinsk region on February 15, 2013. Itar-Tass Photos/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: tassphotoslive419705
A white contrail left by a meteor over the town of Kopeisk, Chelyabinsk Region. Airikh Yulia Itar-Tass Photos/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: tassphotoslive419506
A meteorite contrail is seen over the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, about 1,500 km east of Moscow, on Feb. 15, 2013. Injuries caused by a fallen meteorite in Russia’s Urals region have risen to around 1,000, including over 200 children, the Russian Interior Ministry said on Friday. RIA Xinhua News Agency/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: xnaphotos210152
Damage caused to a building by a meteor shower in Chelyabinsk Region. Yemeldinov Yevgeny Itar-Tass Photos/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: tassphotoslive419531
A view of the wall of a local zinc plant which was damaged by a shockwave from a meteor in the Urals city of Chelyabinsk, on February 15, 2013. A meteor strike in central Russia that left today hundreds of people injured is the biggest known human toll from a space rock, a British expert said. OLEG KARGOPOLOV/AFP/Getty Images/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: afplivefour944186
The consequences of a meteor shower in Chelyabinsk. Andrei Ladygin/ZUMA Press/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: zumaamericas953951
People look at a white contrail left by a meteor over Chelyabinsk. Nikulin Vyacheslav Itar-Tass Photos/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: tassphotoslive419654
Rescuers work near buildings damaged after a meteor explosion in Chelyabinsk, about 1,500 km east of Moscow, on Feb. 15, 2013. E]Mosik/ZUMA Press/Newscom. License this from Newscom.com: zumaamericas954851
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Tags: meteor, meteorite, Russia, sonic boom
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