Ten years ago, the biggest impact in almost a century occurred when the Chelyabinsk asteroid struck Earth's atmosphere.
The sky burst ten years ago as the sun rose above Chelyabinsk, Russia.
At about 70,000 kilometers per hour, an asteroid struck Earth's atmosphere on February 15, 2013. It flared brightly in the sky, nearly the size of a tennis court, as though a second sun had emerged and was racing from southeast to northwest.
The asteroid's surface was blowtorched by the hypersonic velocity at which it rammed into the atmosphere, leaving a dense trail of melted rock behind as it sped across Earth. The force eventually overtook the asteroid around 40 kilometers above the earth when the tremendous pressure began to flatten it (scientists refer to this as "pancaking"). It broke up into tiny pieces, each of which continued to move at a speed greater than a dozen times that of a rifle bullet. As these pieces heated to incandescence, they also pancaked, producing a succession of short but intense bursts of light. The rest of it evaporated.
The last blow was delivered when the asteroid was around 30 kilometers in altitude, and all of this took place in a matter of seconds. In a moment, the energy of its last movement was transformed into heat. The enormous explosion that resulted temporarily outshone the sun in the sky, releasing energy equal to almost half a million metric tons of TNT detonating.
It took over a minute and a half for the shock wave from this explosion to travel 40 kilometers northward to downtown Chelyabinsk. The apparition flashed across the sky as the day was just getting started in the million-person industrial metropolis. The shock wave landed as people went outdoors or to their windows to see the amazing show and the lengthy, lingering vapor trail.
The incident injured over 1,500 individuals, most of whom were injured by flying glass when a massive thunderclap destroyed windows throughout the city. Thankfully, there were no fatalities and very little damage to the infrastructure. This narrative would have been quite different and the aftermath far more severe if the asteroid had been larger, made of metal, or had fallen downhill at a steeper angle.
Because it was the biggest known atmospheric impact since the Tunguska bolide in 1908, it was also a significant learning opportunity for scientists. Satellites, together with numerous of cameras and eyewitnesses, watched the asteroid's burning track. Numerous meteorites fell, including a massive half-ton piece that was 1.5 meters broad and fell into a frozen lake before being retrieved. Even footage from security cameras shows that piece colliding, sending a spectacular cloud of water and snow skyward.
The Event in Chelyabinsk
A 20-meter-diameter asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere in 2013 above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. It released as much energy as 500 kilotons of TNT when it detonated while still in the air. Fortunately, there was no direct contact damage when it burst some thirty kilometers over the land. Nevertheless, it produced a shockwave that destroyed 7,200 houses in six towns and injured 1,500 people. Curiosity led to the majority of injuries as individuals approached windows to gaze outside after seeing the brilliant light. Arriving later and moving at the slower speed of sound, the shock wave broke the windows, causing flying glass to injure individuals.
The Event of Tunguska
An asteroid or comet with a diameter of around 30 meters entered the atmosphere in 1908 and burst above ground at Tunguska, Russia. Over a 2,150 square kilometer (830 square mile) region, the explosion destroyed almost 80 million trees. According to estimates, this explosion is 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast. The city would have been totally devastated if this had happened over a metropolitan region. Fortunately, it took place in a far-flung part of Siberia, and no one is believed to have been killed.
The Event at Chicxulub
An asteroid with a diameter of around 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) struck Earth in what is now Mexico 65 million years ago. Seventy percent of all species on Earth, including dinosaurs, perished in the collision.
We may infer part of what happened from the geological record, and an impact of that magnitude would have had catastrophic consequences. When the asteroid struck water, it caused mega-tsunamis that swept up a shallow inner ocean that spanned what is now the Great Plains and from southeast Mexico to Texas and Florida. Parts of the asteroid and Earth would have been flung so far by the blast that they would have momentarily departed the atmosphere before re-entering the atmosphere.
The Next Thing to Happen?
NEOs of all sizes may be dangerous, even though massive impactors like the one that destroyed the whole planet 65 million years ago are uncommon. Millions of people might perish in an impact on or above a heavily populated metropolis, and coasts could experience catastrophic floods from an impact on water. Any significant impact would cause unheard-of humanitarian and refugee problems worldwide, as well as extensive damage, injuries, and fatalities.
Gianna Eleanor
Ten years ago, the biggest impact in almost a century occurred when the Chelyabinsk asteroid struck Earth's atmosphere.
The sky burst ten years ago as the sun rose above Chelyabinsk, Russia.
At about 70,000 kilometers per hour, an asteroid struck Earth's atmosphere on February 15, 2013. It flared brightly in the sky, nearly the size of a tennis court, as though a second sun had emerged and was racing from southeast to northwest.
The asteroid's surface was blowtorched by the hypersonic velocity at which it rammed into the atmosphere, leaving a dense trail of melted rock behind as it sped across Earth. The force eventually overtook the asteroid around 40 kilometers above the earth when the tremendous pressure began to flatten it (scientists refer to this as "pancaking"). It broke up into tiny pieces, each of which continued to move at a speed greater than a dozen times that of a rifle bullet. As these pieces heated to incandescence, they also pancaked, producing a succession of short but intense bursts of light. The rest of it evaporated.
The last blow was delivered when the asteroid was around 30 kilometers in altitude, and all of this took place in a matter of seconds. In a moment, the energy of its last movement was transformed into heat. The enormous explosion that resulted temporarily outshone the sun in the sky, releasing energy equal to almost half a million metric tons of TNT detonating.
It took over a minute and a half for the shock wave from this explosion to travel 40 kilometers northward to downtown Chelyabinsk. The apparition flashed across the sky as the day was just getting started in the million-person industrial metropolis. The shock wave landed as people went outdoors or to their windows to see the amazing show and the lengthy, lingering vapor trail.
The incident injured over 1,500 individuals, most of whom were injured by flying glass when a massive thunderclap destroyed windows throughout the city. Thankfully, there were no fatalities and very little damage to the infrastructure. This narrative would have been quite different and the aftermath far more severe if the asteroid had been larger, made of metal, or had fallen downhill at a steeper angle.
Because it was the biggest known atmospheric impact since the Tunguska bolide in 1908, it was also a significant learning opportunity for scientists. Satellites, together with numerous of cameras and eyewitnesses, watched the asteroid's burning track. Numerous meteorites fell, including a massive half-ton piece that was 1.5 meters broad and fell into a frozen lake before being retrieved. Even footage from security cameras shows that piece colliding, sending a spectacular cloud of water and snow skyward.
The Event in Chelyabinsk
A 20-meter-diameter asteroid entered Earth's atmosphere in 2013 above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. It released as much energy as 500 kilotons of TNT when it detonated while still in the air. Fortunately, there was no direct contact damage when it burst some thirty kilometers over the land. Nevertheless, it produced a shockwave that destroyed 7,200 houses in six towns and injured 1,500 people. Curiosity led to the majority of injuries as individuals approached windows to gaze outside after seeing the brilliant light. Arriving later and moving at the slower speed of sound, the shock wave broke the windows, causing flying glass to injure individuals.
The Event of Tunguska
An asteroid or comet with a diameter of around 30 meters entered the atmosphere in 1908 and burst above ground at Tunguska, Russia. Over a 2,150 square kilometer (830 square mile) region, the explosion destroyed almost 80 million trees. According to estimates, this explosion is 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima atomic bomb blast. The city would have been totally devastated if this had happened over a metropolitan region. Fortunately, it took place in a far-flung part of Siberia, and no one is believed to have been killed.
The Event at Chicxulub
An asteroid with a diameter of around 10 to 15 kilometers (6 to 9 miles) struck Earth in what is now Mexico 65 million years ago. Seventy percent of all species on Earth, including dinosaurs, perished in the collision.
We may infer part of what happened from the geological record, and an impact of that magnitude would have had catastrophic consequences. When the asteroid struck water, it caused mega-tsunamis that swept up a shallow inner ocean that spanned what is now the Great Plains and from southeast Mexico to Texas and Florida. Parts of the asteroid and Earth would have been flung so far by the blast that they would have momentarily departed the atmosphere before re-entering the atmosphere.
The Next Thing to Happen?
NEOs of all sizes may be dangerous, even though massive impactors like the one that destroyed the whole planet 65 million years ago are uncommon. Millions of people might perish in an impact on or above a heavily populated metropolis, and coasts could experience catastrophic floods from an impact on water. Any significant impact would cause unheard-of humanitarian and refugee problems worldwide, as well as extensive damage, injuries, and fatalities.