USA Today: Meteor shower in central Russia injures hundreds

[dreamshatterer]

Russia was hit by a meteor shower on Friday in the nation's central Ural Mountains, injuring hundreds and causing damage to buildings in six cities, according to reports.

Fragments of the meteor fell in a thinly populated area of the Chelyabinsk region, Russia's Emergency Ministry said in a statement, the Associated Press reported.

At least three had been hospitalized in serious condition but the majority received treatment for minor cuts from broken glass after the explosions broke windows and shook buildings.

Interior Ministry spokesman Vadim Kolesnikov said more than 400 people had called for medical assistance.

More at link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...orite/1921991/

Maybe the Mayans were off a by a few months???

[I_Bleed_B&G]

Here is a video someone caught with sound. Listen to that boom..WOW!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=zMJzqzEryYc

[twa]

well ,how much are the meteorites worth?

[Renegade7]

Are near-Earth objects like this considered a national security threat yet? They should be if they are not already...

[Skins4Life6388]

I'd probably **** myself if I saw that

[AsburySkinsFan]

http://www.reuters.com/video/2013/02...videoChannel=1
Reuters, there is quite a bit of damage.

[Burgold]

Are near-Earth objects like this considered a national security threat yet? They should be if they are not already...

Yup, they have a division assigned to track them in NASA. Apparently there are about 1,300 objects that are constantly being tracked. (Shameless plug) again, on today's Prism.

[RichmondRedskin88]

In Mother Russia the rocks throw you

[KDawg]

I believe they have ways to try to "shoot them" down. But really, if what I understand is correct (and it's probably not), shooting them "down" really just means breaking it up into more pieces which could lead to more widespread damage but less catastrophic damage.

I mean, it's kinda silly to worry about from our perspective as civilians. I probably have a better chance of crossing the street and getting hit by a bus than I do of getting hit by an asteroid. But, it's a good thing we have people who are paid to worry about this stuff, too.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Yup, they have a division assigned to track them in NASA. Apparently there are about 3,300 objects that are constantly being tracked. (Shameless plug) again, on today's Prism.

..."and beggin' your pardon sir, but it's a big ass sky."

[Bang]

Is this thing related to the asteroid that is supposed to fly by today?

~Bang

[Burgold]

Yeah, the 1,300 I believe are extinction sized rocks, the kind that eliminated the dinosaurs.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0208112058.htm

Yes, DA-14 is supposed to fly by this afternoon.

[Dan T.]

Good compilation of footage:

[KDawg]

Yeah, the 1,300 I believe are extinction sized rocks, the kind that eliminated the dinosaurs.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0208112058.htm

Yes, DA-14 is supposed to fly by this afternoon.

So, from readint that, I gather that scientists are less worried about more solid objects due to all the deflection strategies... But the "rubble piles" are much more of a concern?

[Burgold]

they're worried about a number of things, but really what they want to do is get as much advanced notice as possible if one of those multi mile monsters is coming at us. He hinted at strategies, but admitted right now, we don't really have the ability to push the asteroid off course or blow it apart. Luckily, nothing seems to be gunning for us at the moment.

I chatted with Beshore for about 15 minutes yesterday. Pretty interesting stuff.