OTD in Space – February 15: Meteor Explodes Over Chelyabinsk, Russia

On February 15, 2013, a small asteroid exploded over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia. [‘On This Day in Space’ Video Series on Space.com]

The shock wave from this explosion damaged thousands of buildings, and almost 1,500 people were injured by broken glass and other debris. The explosion was more powerful than a nuclear bomb, and it was so bright that it briefly outshone the sun! No one saw this giant space rock coming. At 60 feet in diameter, it was the largest thing to fall from space in more than 100 years. It entered Earth's atmosphere traveling more than 60 times the speed of sound and exploded into countless pieces. The biggest fragments were later recovered in Lake Chebarkul.