Chelyabinsk Meteorite - Russia
« backCHELYABINSK METEORITE
(Stony meteorite)
Fell 15 February 2013
Chelyabinsk, Ural Mountains, Russia
The Chelyabinsk fall was one of the largest and most spectacular meteorite falls in historical times. It is notable because the fireball, which was brighter than the sun, passed to the south of the major city of Chelyabinsk in daylight, and was recorded by hundreds of video cameras.
The meteor, which is estimated to have been 20 metres in diameter, entered the Earth’s atmosphere at a shallow angle at about 60 times the speed of sound. It exploded at a height of about 30 km creating a powerful shock wave that caused extensive damage and injuries, mainly from broken window glass.
The largest fragment of the meteorite was recovered from the bed of a frozen lake but hundreds of much smaller pieces have also been found, mainly by local people.
This individual meteorite is completely covered with a brown ‘fusion crust’ caused by the heat of atmospheric friction. It is presented in a glass-topped gemstone display box.
Click on a picture for a larger image
Size: approx. 15 x 14 x 9 millimetres
Weight: 3.2 grams
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