Space & Astronomy

Russian meteor shockwave circled the globe

By T.K. Randall
June 30, 2013 ·  5 comments

Image Credit: Youtube / Russia Today The 17m rock burned up above Russia in an event so destructive that it injured 1000 people and sent a shockwave that circled the Earth twice. Scientists were able to determine the nature of the seismic aftermath using sensors designed to pick up signs of nuclear detonations. The explosion was the equivalent of 460 kilotonnes of TNT, the largest such event since the 1908 Tunguska meteor in Siberia.

The explosion over Chelyabinsk has also generated renewed interest in developing methods to deflect or destroy incoming objects from space. Solutions ranging from solar sails to nuclear missiles have been proposed as potential ways to protect the Earth from future impacts.

Source: BBC News | Comments (5)

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