Chelyabinsk meteor
The airburst of a ~20-metre near-Earth object over Russia, whose shock wave shattered windows and injured around 1,500 people — the most damaging modern impact event, and a spur to planetary-defense efforts.
Impact eventOverview
The airburst of a ~20-metre near-Earth object over Russia, whose shock wave shattered windows and injured around 1,500 people — the most damaging modern impact event, and a spur to planetary-defense efforts.
Figures are given only where scientifically established; this page describes the event factually, without exaggeration.
Sources
The primary and reference sources this topic draws on.
- NASANational Aeronautics and Space Administration
Mission data, planetary science, space telescopes, and public-domain imagery.
Most NASA-produced imagery is in the public domain; individual items are checked for usage terms before publication.