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Friday, February 15, 2013

No Link Between Russian Meteor & Asteroid Flying By Earth Today

Don’t Worry
There’s ‘No Link’ Between The Russian Meteor
http://images.wjla.com//pictures/2033/russian-meteor-2-e1ru_606.jpg
And The Asteroid Flying By Earth Today
http://cdn-static.cnet.co.uk/i/c/blg/cat/gadgets/meteor-russia.jpg
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It’s safe to say most of us were quite surprised to learn that a meteor crash over Russia resulted in over 500 people being injured. What’s more is that an asteroid is set to have a close encounter with Earth today as well. But fear not: Officials say the two aren’t related.
The European Space Agency’s Twitter feed noted that officials “confirm there is no link between the meteor incidents in Russia and asteroid 2012DA14 flyby tonight.”
NASA asteroid expert Don Yeomans, stressed that the bolide event was likely not associated at all with the incoming asteroid 2012 DA14, which will fly within 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers) of Earth when it passes safely by our planet today.
“The asteroid will travel south to north,” Yeomans said. “The bolide trail was not south to north and the separation in time between the fireball and 2012 DA14 close approach is significant.”
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Meteor blazing over Russia captured on video
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A speeding meteor which caused a sonic boom across the Ural mountains has left 524 people injured, two seriously Russian authorities have confirmed.
In a skype interview with the Telegraph Dr Simon Green from the Open University explains the science behind this rare phenomenon.
"This kind of thing doesn't happen every year, but it's certainly something that happens every decade or so." He said.
"The bright fireball is not the object burning, it's the ionising gases in the atmosphere.
"The rock is heated when it reaches the lower levels of the atmosphere from friction and the time lag of the sonic boom from the entry of the object suggests that the object entered the atmosphere at approx 50 km above ground.
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http://static2.businessinsider.com/image/511e4ac669bedd9973000008-1734-1300-900-/russian-meteorite.jpg

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