Fall of the meteorite

[Alef]

Imagine, you are driving to your work. Driving, driving, and listening radio. And then baaah, a meteorite falls literary on yor head.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/f525TmMSBs0&rel=1&fs=1&hd=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/f525TmMSBs0&rel=1&fs=1&hd=1</a>

Pretty unique accident. Ural region actualy is the center of russion military industry.

[cKleinhuis]

it was in the news, shocking effect, the crazy thing is that meteorits of this size ( "just" 20 m diameter) can not be observed that good, i just wonder why they keep telling it has nothing to do with the other meteorit that was rushing away in just 20.000 km distance, dont know if either of the possibilities could calm me down, but thinking that it is in a big collection of meteorits, and that they are now gone would feel better than: ... this can happen anyday anwhere ....

[Alef]

Some scientists sayed, it is not connected, others, that it was by gravity connected to larger meteorite. Probably they just don't know, but as scientists they have to pley their social role and just can't say, we realy don't know.

[Kali]

If this happened during the cold war era, Russia would have launched their nuclear weapons before even thinking it could be a meteorite.

[Alef]

Meteorite created discussion, that there should be antimeteorite defence like anti missile defence. That would cost like apollo space programm, but if hudge rock falls on London, it would be woth it.
Alsou there were talk, that meteorites consist of silicates and iron and aren't particulary dangerous, but if it was some space trash, better don't touch it as space high-tech trash orbiting around the earth contains dangerous chemicals and radioactive materials.

It spawned number of jokes that a Falling Star were a late valentine gift, and picture that Putin saddled the meteorite.





Many actualy liked this event, say, meteorite could attract folks to Chelabinsk and surrounding towns.

[Apophyster]

First three: funny.  Maybe 4, not so much.

I remember Arthur Sirotinsky had a link to cartoons at the Fractal Explorer site.  I don't know how many ever looked at them.
(I'm in a hurry and don't look now to see if they are still there.)

I remember I laughed at some cartoons, but many I did not understand because they were local politics.
I think I remember the original Putin picture above too in the news - maybe - from around some past election time?

[Alef]

The picture is mocking of Putins macho / cowboy fotosession.


I was thinking, why there is no any historical evidence of meteorite. Maybe it's becouse at the time it was wieved as action of gods or angels, and so by science is taken as fairy-tailes. There are some talks, that biblical story about Sodom and Gomorrah could be simply a desription of meteorite event.

[Apophyster]

That photo is similar to what I saw - there were probably many pictures like that of Mr. Putin.
I live in California and the ex-Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was a "bodybuilder" in his youth.  A "Mr. Universe" I think.
I think it was him on the back page of comic books that I read as a kid... in advertisements about how to make big muscles. lol.
News commentators and others called him the Governator, after his role in the movie "Terminator".  (I think there is or will be a sequel.)

I looked a little bit for historical metorites and found this link interesting:
http://mymeteorite.com/science/121.html

Many "meteorite" sites seem to be in the business of selling pieces of them though.

[Alef]

With IE I seen nothing, but google shows nice 3D wiev of solar system with asteroids.
http://www.asterank.com

Look at full 3D wiev.