Posted on 02/15/2013 11:28:48 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
At a news conference Friday, NASA scientists said the object that exploded over Russia was a “tiny asteroid” that measured roughly 45 feet across, weighed about 10,000 tons and traveled about 40,000 mph.
The object vaporized roughly 15 miles above the surface of the Earth, causing a shock wave that triggered the global network of listening devices that was established to detect nuclear test explosions.
The force of the explosion measured between 300 and 500 kilotons, equivalent to a modern nuclear bomb, according to Bill Cooke, head of the Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.
“When you hear about injuries, those are undoubtedly due to the events of the shock striking the city and causing walls to collapse and glass to fly, not due to fragments striking the ground,” Cooke said.
Scientists believe the object originated from the asteroid belt, a vast collection of debris orbiting between Mars and Jupiter that consists of leftover bits from the formation of the solar system. The asteroid probably traveled for a year before it burst into the atmosphere Friday. As yet, no fragments have been recovered, but experts believe the asteroid was rocky in nature, and not formed of dense iron and nickel...
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Now THAT is interesting.
“Lucifer’s Hammer” was a TERRIFIC Book!
Heinlein did the same to me.
I’d say it is. Nice how the Moon functions as a sort of mine sweeper in space for the Earth, isn’t it? It protects us to an extent.
I’ve read all Pournelle’s stuff, and most of Niven’s. And certainly all of their collaborations.
If you haven’t read The Mote in God’s Eye, I highly recommend that as well. Hard science fiction first contact novel.
About 3500 tons or 7 million lbs.
Sphere volume = 4/3*pi* radius cubed.
Yes...I read it a long time ago.
Time to “Refresh”!
It will be interesting to learn, what sort of minerals are in the meteor.
Is it loaded with goodies?
Or not much? How much burned off, how much is left.
Russia composes about 11% of the earth’s land area, so if something does come down randomly on land, there’s better than a 1 in 10 chance it will be in Russia. Russia + Antarctica are about 20% so there’s a 1 in 5 chance it will land in one of the two.
Well, it DID get mighty HOT!
The moon rotates so both sides have an equal chance of being hit unless I am missing something
“About 3500 tons or 7 million lbs”
The First Wookie will not be pleased that your mentioning about her weight =)
Nope. The Moon is ‘tidally locked’, so it only shows ONE face towards the Earth. The Moon orbits around the Earth, but it does not rotate itself like the Earth does.
They also used a football field in the diagram. Deliberate reminder of Michael Vick? Or Jerry Sandusky? You really ought to save your tinfoil for the next object that falls from space.
After seeing that post I must be missing something. Lots of craters on that side
Ah, Latin. Mrs Clapper, the terror of a small 8th grade boy. Dick Butkus’ older, bigger, meaner sister!
But I appreciate what little Latin she was able to drum into my little skull full of mush.
Latin is so useful for really understanding English.
e.g. “Companion” is “con(m)” = “with” + “pan” = “bread”
Companion - one with whom you break bread.
Unless that side was facing in the wrong direction when the big bang hit
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