Meteor Blasts Russia - The Something Awful Forums

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Plinkey: Aug 4, 2004; Can't we all just be friends?

Apparently a meteor just hit Russia in a somewhat populated area. Early reports are that 400-500 are injured.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...eorite/1921991/

http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astr...ver_russia.html

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...ia-s-urals.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Omh7_I8vI

I guess it was hiding in the shadow of DA14 like Deep Impact after they split that asteroid in pieces.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:35

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# ? May 24, 2013 18:00

Measly Twerp: Nov 5, 2009; Weasel words is all I hear

Finaly a thread about this! It was aliens, I can proove it.

In this diagram, you can clearly see the rocket fuel still bruning behind the space ship.

Measly Twerp fucked around with this message at Feb 15, 2013 around 09:43

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:39

Uglycat: Dec 4, 2000

From what I've read, it's entirely independent from DA14. Also, it did not explode on impact - it was very high in the air (it's a sonic boom, not an explosion). People were knocked off their feet by the boom, and a lot of glass broke (causing injury to those below, in some cases).

Anyhow, there's more info in the Comet megathread.

edit -
http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astr...ver_russia.html

quote:

I’m trying to piece together what happened from the videos. First of all, I do not think this is related in any way to the asteroid 2102 DA14! For one thing, this occurred about 16 hours before DA14 passes. At 8 kilometers per second that’s nearly half a million kilometers away from DA14. That puts it on a totally different orbit.

For another, from the lighting, time of day, and videos showing the rising Sun, it looks like this was moving mostly east-to-west. I may be off, but that’s how it looks. DA14 is approaching Earth from the south, so any fragment of that rock would also appear to move south-to-north.

So again, I think this is unrelated to 2012 DA14. But wow, what a huge coincidence!

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:39

Vincent Van Goatse: Nov 8, 2006; Veni, vidi, Lombardi.

Looks like it burned up in the atmosphere and any injuries came from the shockwave and sonic boom it caused.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:39

d3c0y2: Sep 29, 2009

"According to an unconfirmed report in Russia Today, the meteor was intercepted by Russian air defense."

Wait, what. can we intercept meteors now, I thought that was science fiction. Or is Russia Today just being Russia Today again.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:40

Plinkey: Aug 4, 2004; Can't we all just be friends?

Vincent Van Goatse posted:

Looks like it burned up in the atmosphere and any injuries came from the shockwave and sonic boom it caused.

So most likely a Tunguska like event over a populated area?

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:41

Uglycat: Dec 4, 2000

d3c0y2 posted:

"According to an unconfirmed report in Russia Today, the meteor was intercepted by Russian air defense."

Wait, what. can we intercept meteors now, I thought that was science fiction. Or is Russia Today just being Russia Today again.

I caught that in one of the links too... it didn't look terribly reputable. There was another link floating around talking about UFOs.

No, it's just a very pretty light in the sky, followed by a sonic boom. Mind you, it's extremely large, extremely loud, and there's an amazing number of videos surfacing of it.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:41

Plavski: Feb 1, 2006; I could be a revolutionary

Yeah, it didn't hit, it burned up and the shockwaves from that blew out glass which hurt people. Not quite the SyFy special some journalists are reporting.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:42

Attention Horse: Jan 5, 2012; Yo man, you are out of step with Imhotep!

There's a ton of pictures and videos here:

http://zyalt.livejournal.com/722930.html

I had no idea that sonic booms can be so powerful, holy poo poo.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:42

Hip Gelatinous Cube: May 30, 2001; Spare me, baby, but you're supergreat. Take your passion and make it happen.

HOLY poo poo. IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:43

Uglycat: Dec 4, 2000

Attention Horse posted:

There's a ton of pictures and videos here:

http://zyalt.livejournal.com/722930.html

The trail it leaves in the sky... it's as distinctive as the Challenger explosion... etched into my brain now...

Is there the possibility that scientists might be able to analyze all these images from all these different angles to gain some new insight into... stuff?

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:44

Siljmonster: Dec 16, 2005; I ruin threads instead of voting on them.

Russian dash cams really are a great gift. Awesome how bright that meteor got as it broke up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs6sj6xAzeg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvJKoQE8uwE

Siljmonster fucked around with this message at Feb 15, 2013 around 09:47

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:45

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008; Keep on Truckin'

Vincent Van Goatse posted:

Looks like it burned up in the atmosphere and any injuries came from the shockwave and sonic boom it caused.

Speaking of which, here is a nifty simulation of Tunguska by Sandia National Laboratories:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yY34uWty_0

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:47

Doctor Reynolds: Jul 18, 2008; And any story where he isn't, he helps you forget!

Why does this poo poo always happen to Russia?

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:47

Plinkey: Aug 4, 2004; Can't we all just be friends?

Doctor Reynolds posted:

Why does this poo poo always happen to Russia?

Probability?

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:48

Yardbomb: Jul 11, 2011; The Voodoo

Doctor Reynolds posted:

Why does this poo poo always happen to Russia?

It's an enormous place, so poo poo falling out of the sky has a pretty good chance to land there.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:49

Vincent Van Goatse: Nov 8, 2006; Veni, vidi, Lombardi.

Doctor Reynolds posted:

Why does this poo poo always happen to Russia?

Because it's a huge goddamned landmass.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:49

Fautzo: Jan 3, 2012; I just want you to know that my computer tried everything to stop me from uploading this image to the point that I had to do a force shutdown. Is this a bad sign?

I'm so proud I haven't heard any terrible soviet russia jokes in the comment sections of any news sites or twitter.

Also the fact that the meteor caused that much damage when "intercepted" really makes me wonder what kind of damage it could have done if it actually hit.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:49

d3c0y2: Sep 29, 2009

Also was this meteor even known? I thought we would spot any potential meteor hitting us months before it actually happened.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:51

XK: Jul 9, 2001; Quantum Killer

d3c0y2 posted:

Also was this meteor even known? I thought we would spot any potential meteor hitting us months before it actually happened.

It was probably about the size of a car, and almost impossible to see coming.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:52

twoday: May 4, 2005; The longer and more carefully we look at a funny story, the sadder it becomes.

http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/347220.html

quote:

Astronomer Phil Plait says his "tentative" opinion is that a meteor which has exploded over Russia is real, but that it is not related to the asteroid 2012 DA14 which is due to make a close fly-by of earth in the next few hours.

Yeah... Well, isn't that a funny little coincidence? The flyby is supposed to occur in about 10 hours, and I will hopefully be in some kind of bunker-like bar at that time.

Edit: "If 2012 DA14 were on a collision course, the shock of its rapid fall through Earth's atmosphere would cause it to explode, unleashing the power of a 2.4-megaton atomic bomb. In the worst-case scenario, that'd be enough energy to destroy an entire city."

Ahhhhhhh

twoday fucked around with this message at Feb 15, 2013 around 09:56

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:53

Foehammer007: Dec 7, 2011; Speed has never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary... That's what gets you.

Aston Martin DB9... that's not really a racing car, that's just pornography.

twoday posted:

http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/347220.html

Yeah... Well, isn't that a funny little coincidence? The flyby is supposed to occur in about 10 hours, and I will hopefully be in some kind of bunker-like bar at that time.

Bunker bars, the safest place to be. It is pretty crazy that this would happen ten or so hours before the Asteroid.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:56

Nessus: Dec 22, 2003; robot whores
come before
a cure for
cancer

d3c0y2 posted:

Also was this meteor even known? I thought we would spot any potential meteor hitting us months before it actually happened.

I think we'd spot any civilization-ender well before that. This thing would have in no sense destroyed civilization even if it landed directly in a nuclear power plant.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:56

Plinkey: Aug 4, 2004; Can't we all just be friends?

twoday posted:

http://www.newsroomamerica.com/story/347220.html

Yeah... Well, isn't that a funny little coincidence? The flyby is supposed to occur in about 10 hours, and I will hopefully be in some kind of bunker-like bar at that time.

Just put Deep Impact on repeat because it's clearly the better 1998 asteroid movie. Black president and all, kinda predicted the future.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 09:56

TemetNosceXVIcubus: Sep 8, 2011; I post a lot of dumb tough-guy bullshit in E/N.

XK posted:

It was probably about the size of a car, and almost impossible to see coming.

More likely smaller, size of a basketball. The 1972 Fireball was larger, and that got taped as well. Wiki has a few calculations about what would happen if a car size meteor would strike. The explossion heard from this one is just the sound barrier being burst, still scary as loving hell.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gr...t_1972_Fireball

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:00

Captain Pancakes: Jul 30, 2004

Plinkey posted:

So most likely a Tunguska like event over a populated area?

At first this made me think, "What, did they shoot it down with an anti-aircraft gun?" Then I looked up "Tunguska" and saw it was a giant meteor in 1908.

I play way too much Battlefield 3.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:03

Measly Twerp: Nov 5, 2009; Weasel words is all I hear

ALERT! The mother ship will arrive tomorrow!
ALARM! Das Mutterschiff kommt erst morgen!
ALERT! Statek matka przyjedzie jutro!
RHYBUDD! Bydd y llong fam yn cyrraedd yfory!
ALERTA! La nave madre llegará mañana!

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:04

A Buttery Pastry: Sep 4, 2011

Nessus posted:

I think we'd spot any civilization-ender well before that. This thing would have in no sense destroyed civilization even if it landed directly in a nuclear power plant.

Though whether we'd have enough time to nudge a big one off course is another matter. Currently, the odds are really not in our favor.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:05

Measly Twerp: Nov 5, 2009; Weasel words is all I hear

Nessus posted:

I think we'd spot any civilization-ender well before that. This thing would have in no sense destroyed civilization even if it landed directly in a nuclear power plant.

The aliens are hiding behind the sun, so we wont see them until it's too late.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:07

Plinkey: Aug 4, 2004; Can't we all just be friends?

Measly Twerp posted:

The aliens are hiding behind the sun, so we wont see them until it's too late.

We have at least 8 minutes.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:08

Dusseldorf: Mar 29, 2005

Doctor Reynolds posted:

Why does this poo poo always happen to Russia?

Well there was one in Wisconsin three years ago. Here's an appropriate Russia Today video link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-TYo1LgHr4

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:11

richardm: Jul 15, 2004

twoday posted:

Edit: "If 2012 DA14 were on a collision course, the shock of its rapid fall through Earth's atmosphere would cause it to explode, unleashing the power of a 2.4-megaton atomic bomb. In the worst-case scenario, that'd be enough energy to destroy an entire city."

News Room America posted:

NASA says an asteroid 150-feet in diameter [the same one twoday is talking about] with an estimated mass of about 130,000 metric tons will make a record close approach to earth for a known object of this size today, and will pass inside the ring of geosynchronous weather and communications satellites.

That does sound pretty close doesn't it. Can we expect it to take out any satellites?

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:12

TemetNosceXVIcubus: Sep 8, 2011; I post a lot of dumb tough-guy bullshit in E/N.

Most of you are blessed in having lived when the Cold War was over. I spent a good deal of my life surrounded by the fear that WWIII would occurr. This sort of poo poo, back in the late seventies and early eighties, would have snowballed, and somebody would have pushed a big red button somewhere, just be glad that we are "largely at peace" right now.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:14

Measly Twerp: Nov 5, 2009; Weasel words is all I hear

Plinkey posted:

We have at least 8 minutes.

Well, I suppose we could use a doomsday device in eight minutes and steralize this planet. But we couldn't defend ourselves against toasters from space, let alone whatever these guys are going to throw at us. I think we need to contact the nazi moon base for help.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:14

Brother Jonathan: Jun 23, 2008; Keep on Truckin'

richardm posted:

Can we expect it to take out any satellites?

In geosynchronous orbit, the satellites are hundreds of miles apart, so it's not likely.

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:16

petrol blue: Feb 9, 2013; The pipes are calling.

My first thought is 'north korean satellite'

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:20

Jefferoo: Jun 23, 2008; PLEASE GO AWAY JEFFEROO. YOU ARE NOT AN INTELLECTUAL SAVIOR, YOU ARE THE WORST POSTER IN GAMES(AND RAPIDLY GOING DEAF!) AND A BLIGHT UPON HUMANITY.

petrol blue posted:

My first thought is 'north korean satellite'

The North Kerbal Space Program is still working out the kinks. Jebediah is on the case. Tune into UVB-76 for further updates.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2EKWgTNEYU

edit: no, seriously, now is the time to be checking out mysterious Russian number stations.

Jefferoo fucked around with this message at Feb 15, 2013 around 10:25

# ? Feb 15, 2013 10:21