Chelyabinsk Meteorite

FROM ONE OF THE MOST WELL-DOCUMENTED METEORITE FALLS

On February 15, 2013, a massive fireball slammed into Earth's atmosphere over Kazakhstan, traveling at a cosmic velocity of 66,000 kilometers per hour (11.3 miles per second). Atmospheric drag resulted in enormous pressure being exerted on an estimated 12,000-ton mass (in effect, a small asteroid). When the fireball could no longer withstand the stress, it exploded in a massive air burst over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk, releasing an estimated 25-times more energy than the atomic bomb that devastated Hiroshima during World War II. Gratefully, the energy was dispersed in all directions 20 miles above the Earth's surface, unlike the Little Boy atomic weapon which detonated less than 2,000 feet above the ground, a distance strategically calculated to maximize its destructive power.

Believed to be the largest object to have entered the atmosphere since the mysterious Tunguska event in the early 20^th century, the Chelyabinsk explosion produced thousands upon thousands of small meteorites that fell from the sky. However, it was the shockwave — created by the equivalent of approximately 450 tons of TNT — that created the devastation and havoc which will forever be associated with this historic event. Damage to buildings was widespread and more than 1,100 people were injured. While some people were thrown off their feet and others experienced flash blindness, most of the injuries resulted from people running to their windows to see to see what was happening, only to have glass shatter in their faces when the shockwave arrived.

Chelyabinsk is the only meteorite whose final descent was documented by hundreds of security cameras and dash cams, and the only meteorite impact from which there exists scores of videos of exploding windows and collapsing walls, many of which were made available on the internet almost immediately after the damage had occurred.

This complete, flight-oriented stone features two distinctly-colored fusion crusts on each side: one deep brown and the other charcoal black due to, and evidence of, flight orientation. This is a highly structural and aesthetic piece of one of the most famous and important witnessed falls on all time.

REFERENCES:

Meteoritical Bulletin Entry for Chelyabinsk