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Related: About this forumRussian Meteor: Contrail, Sonic Boom and Aftermath
A powerful blast rocked the Russian region of the Urals early on Friday with bright objects, identified as possible meteorites, falling from the sky, emergency officials said.
"It was definitely not a plane," an emergency official told Reuters, without elaborating. "We are gathering the bits of information and have no data on the casualties so far."
No one was hurt in a meteor shower, an emergency official told RIA-Novosti. Local residents said they witnessed burning objects in the sky of the Chelyabinsk and....(more at video page)
Ian David
(69,059 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,797 posts)in a demented sort of way. Love, Peace and Shelter. lmsp
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)I was too chicken to go there! lol.
Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)Let's hope the few seriously hurt pull through.
Xipe Totec
(43,890 posts)On Friday, an asteroid dubbed 2012 DA14 will whiz by Earth closer than any rock of its size since record-keeping began. But if NASA weren't aiming high-powered telescopes at 2012 DA14, most Earthlings would never know we'd been buzzed.
...
Friday's flyby is record-breaking; skywatchers have never before recorded an asteroid of this size passing so close to Earth. Unrecorded close calls are another story. In 1908, a hunk of space rock about 150 feet (45 meters) in diameter screamed into the atmosphere near the Tunguska River in Siberia. The asteroid or comet fragment about the size of the White House broke up explosively in the atmosphere, leveling more than 800 square miles (1,287 square kilometers) of forest.
http://news.yahoo.com/5-reasons-care-fridays-asteroid-flyby-042802278.html
htuttle
(23,738 posts)According to Bad Astronomy blog
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/02/15/breaking_huge_meteor_explodes_over_russia.html?wpisrc=most_viral
Uben
(7,719 posts)...in the northwestern sky at about 10:30 PM. As I was pulling into the gated community where I live, I saw a very bright object that appeared, from my aspect, to be plunging straight down out of the sky. I had intended to look today to see if there was any news of it, and lo and behold, this article appeared! Don't know the timeline on the Russian one. I am a little north of Dallas.
What struck me as odd, was the fact it appeared to plunge straight down out of the sky. But, as I said, I assumed it was just my aspect of it.
greiner3
(5,214 posts)Congratulations.
Jus saying.
Uben
(7,719 posts)This is a 40 yr old lake community. It's called gated because you have to pass thru security a gate to enter. It has a 40 yr old barbed wire fence around it that is in desperate need of repair. My home is a 40 yr old lake house, which is nothing spectacular.
Just an old drafty house that is in need of constant maintenance. It belonged to my wife when we got married. She died a yr ago of breast cancer, and I'm trying to decide whether I want to stay here. This place is chock full of republicans, about 85%, so it has little appeal when considering a social life. But the fishing is great!
greiner3
(5,214 posts)If this had happened a few days prior to December 21 last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All those kooks running around and screaming, 'I told you so!'
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)I recall some ort cloud hypothesis that said increased asteroid activity is supposed to coincide with some comet stirring up space balls and the end of the 500+ year maya calendar cycle. Or so they say.
greiner3
(5,214 posts)" In the late 1940's, about 80 kilometers north of the city of Chelyabinsk, an atomic weapons complex called "Mayak" was built. Its existence has only recently been acknowledged by Russian officials. Mayak, bordered to the west by the Ural Mountains, and to the north by Siberia, was the goal of Gary Powers's surveillance flight in May of 1960."
So a city, the size of Dallas TX (unknown GSMP's population), is now famous for 2 things!
zebonaut
(3,688 posts)We might have lost Chicago; or Washington later in the day. A sobering reminder of whats out there; and that an even bigger one may one day cause a lot of havoc
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)I would like to think the people in charge of nukes are more cautious than that but you can't overestimate the human capacity for stupidity.
Welcome to DU!
FailureToCommunicate
(14,020 posts)It is probably the most disturbing reporting you're likely to see. Nightmare material.
Shankapotomus
(4,840 posts)Found the website: http://countdowntozerofilm.com/watch
Disturbing, yes, but it was hopeful to hear everyone answer "No" and "None" in the trailer to the question of how many nuclear weapons should be allowed. Will have to check it out.
FailureToCommunicate
(14,020 posts)disasters over the decades, INCLUDING events like yesterday's meteor mistaken for a possible first strike...