Russian Meteor: Meteorite Strikes Happen More Often Than You Think

A meteorite struck Russia this morning, and it happens more often than you might think.

A meteorite struck Russia this morning, creating a shockwave that blew out windows and injured 950 people. No deaths were reported. The meteor strike was terrifying for the people who saw it in person. Imagine screaming, flaming objects falling suddenly from the sky, and you have the picture of what most of us equate with Armageddon. Of course it isn’t that bad, but it’s how we tend to view it.

The fact is that meteor strikes happen around five to ten times a year.

According to The Atlantic, cosmic debris falls to Earth regularly. When asteroids or comets break up, some pieces fall to Earth. Meteors are the pieces that burn up in Earth’s atmosphere and never touch the ground. But when one survives entry and strikes Earth, it becomes a meteorite.

Meteorite strikes are usually small and don’t cause much damage, much like what happened on the popular and once-controversial TV show The Simpsons. Larger ones like what hit a lake near Russia’s Ural mountains this morning are a bit more dangerous and tend to happen every five years or so.

According to Forbes, Russian Minister of Civil Defence Vladimir Puchkov in a statement:

“Chelyabinsk Region suffered the greatest damage. The impact wave and blast damaged around 297 homes, 12 schools, a number of other social facilities, and some industrial sites. An operations group numbering more than 20,000 people is at work now, with 3,000 pieces of equipment and 8 aircraft at their disposal. Our priority task is to get practical help to the people in the disaster zone and ensure they have all the essentials for life.”

Does it frighten you that meteor strikes happen more often than you think?

Huge meteorite streaks through Russian sky, injuring nearly 1,000 nbcnews.to/Z2EuZP

— NBC Nightly News(@nbcnightlynews) February 15, 2013