Russian Meteor: Contrail, Sonic Boom and Aftermath

[Shankapotomus]

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]

1. Wow, it looks like the LAPD was there. n/t

[littlemissmartypants]

15. I find this funny

in a demented sort of way. Love, Peace and Shelter. lmsp

[Shankapotomus]

20. Thanks for the pick up response!

I was too chicken to go there! lol.

[Mojorabbit]

2. Yahoo news says over five hundred hurt.

http://news.yahoo.com/possible-meteor-shower-reported-eastern-russia-052833588.html

[Shankapotomus]

3. Thanks! nt

[Mojorabbit]

4. The videos coming out are just amazing, aren't they? Nt

[Shankapotomus]

5. Amazing!

Let's hope the few seriously hurt pull through.

[Xipe Totec]

6. This was just a small chunk, calved from 2012 DA14

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]

11. It's coming from a different direction

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. I saw a huge meteor last night....

...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]

9. "...gated community where I live."

Congratulations.

Jus saying.

[Uben]

13. It isn't that great.....

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]

8. Imagine;

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]

12. I think this is close enough for them

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]

10. "Chelyabinsk...The Most Contaminated Spot on the Planet"

" 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]

14. Its a good thing they didn't mistake it for an incoming nuke and decide to retaliate....

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]

16. That would be one big mistake

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]

17. Watch this film and you'll see you are correct about stupidity...and nukes

It is probably the most disturbing reporting you're likely to see. Nightmare material.

[Shankapotomus]

18. The trailer looks good

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]

19. Yes, those parts are hopeful. This worrisome parts are all the accidents and near

disasters over the decades, INCLUDING events like yesterday's meteor mistaken for a possible first strike...