Chelyabinsk is a large city of the Russian Federation, a scientific, industrial and cultural center of the Urals. This is a city of working people, famous for its industrial power and industrial records. But on February 15, 2013, the city became famous all over the world after a meteorite fell in Chelyabinsk.
What really happened?
At about 9:30 local time, residents of not only Chelyabinsk, but also in remote areas observed a rapid flight of a brightly glowing unidentified object in the sky, behind which a powerful jet trail stretched. Then the shock wave swept, bringing a lot of destruction, from which more than 1,500 residents of the city suffered.
A state of emergency was declared in the city, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, soldiers, police were sent to the alleged site of the fall of an unknown body. Scientists and curious people advanced there. Each channel of the Russian media sent its reporters to the scene, everyone wanted pictures and fragments of a celestial body.
This event shocked not only local residents. Worried about NASA, the European Space Agency. Astronomers of the Czech Republic, Sweden, France, Great Britain, Canada, America became interested in the event. A whole year has passed, but the truth about the Chelyabinsk meteorite continues to worry both the population and scientific minds.
Recovering a Chronicle of Events
Winter morning began as usual. People went to work, identifying children by schools and kindergartens, students went to study.
In the sky at 9:23, residents of Chelyabinsk noticed a strange flash and unusual stripes, like from a jet plane. After a couple of minutes, each person felt a trembling of the soil, the whole Chelyabinsk shuddered. The meteorite explosion caused a shock wave, which swept within a radius of several kilometers. Trees fell, windows flew out in buildings, car alarms went off, a wall was demolished at a zinc factory.
Guesses and Truth
Versions of the phenomenon were different, sometimes fantastic. Someone decided that these were enemy missiles, some suggested that the plane fell, there were those who believed in an attack on the planet of aliens.
In fact, a large meteorite fell on the ground near the city of Chelyabinsk, the second largest after the Tunguska meteorite, which fell in Eastern Siberia in June 1908.
February 2013 - the “space guest” entered the planet’s atmosphere at an acute angle of about 20 °. According to experts, approximately at an altitude of about 20-25 km, the meteorite has split into pieces. The wreckage hit the ground at great speed.
Physical characteristics of the “guest from space”
According to experts, including NASA experts, a meteorite in Chelyabinsk weighing 10 tons and a diameter of at least 17 m, entered the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 18 km / h.
The flight of a meteorite after entering our atmosphere lasted no more than 40 seconds. The cosmic body began to explode at an altitude of 20 kilometers. From the explosion with a capacity of about 470 kilotons (30 times more than during the bombing in Hiroshima), numerous fragments and pieces were formed that quickly crashed into Chelyabinsk lands. The bright light from the fall was visible over long distances. He was observed in the Kurgan, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen regions, in Kazakhstan and Bashkortostan. The farthest point where traces of the meteorite’s flight were visible is the Samara Region, located 750 km from Chelyabinsk.
Consequences of a meteorite fall
When a meteorite fell in Chelyabinsk, it caused a series of shock waves. A lot of trees were felled in the city, about 3,000 buildings and structures were damaged. In many houses, glass shocked the shockwave, for a while the connection was lost. The most severe blow fell on the Satka district. There the zinc factory was partially destroyed.
Many asked the question of where the meteorite fell in Chelyabinsk and how dangerous it is. An emergency was declared in the city, all units of the Ministry of Emergencies were sent to the scene. A conversation was held with the population, panic was suppressed, and they tried to keep the situation under control.
In addition to Chelyabinsk, the following areas of the region suffered: Korkino, Emanzhelinsk, Yuzhnouralsk, Kopeisk and the village of Etkul.
According to scientists, if a meteorite exploded 5-6 km lower, the consequences would be much more sad.
Place of fall
Each celestial body is of great interest from a scientific point of view. In order to study the nature of the origin of the meteorite, its chemical composition, it was necessary to find as many fragments and pieces of the celestial body as possible. For this, it was important to establish the exact location of the meteorite in Chelyabinsk.
Two main parts were quickly found in the Chebarkul district. In the Zlatoust district, they found the third main fragment. But the fourth had to search. It was believed that he fell in the region of Lake Chebarkul. Local residents, who fished on the lake in the morning, confirmed that there was a cosmic stone, and fell into the lake itself. Eyewitnesses said that the blow caused a huge wave. Water rose 3-4 meters.
Name selection
After the meteorite fell, 2 variants of its name were proposed - Chebarkulsky or Chelyabinsk. In favor of the first name, it was argued that the main fragment fell into Lake Chebarkul near the village of Chebarkul. However, supporters of the name "Chelyabinsk" said that the meteorite brought the greatest damage to the regional center. As a rematch, he should get the name Chelyabinsk.
Academician E. Galimov - the head of the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry - announced that the meteorite will be included in the International Catalog under the name "Chelyabinsk".
Collection of meteorite parts
Hundreds of small debris was found at the crash sites. Special expeditions were sent to search. Only near Lake Chebarkul collected three kilograms of meteorite stones. The search continued for more than six months. In August, news came that a local resident had found a 3.5 kg fragment near the village of Timiryazevsky.
But of greatest interest was the huge fragment that fell into the lake. According to preliminary estimates, its weight was 300-400 kg; it went deep into the bottom silt. Local authorities allocated 3 million rubles to raise it.
A huge piece in August 2013 was removed from the bottom of the lake. Its weight was equal to 600 kg. After a survey by scientists and a verdict on radioactive and chemical safety, a meteorite fragment was transferred to the local museum of local lore.
Mineral composition
After a while, the researchers explained which meteorite fell in Chelyabinsk. The space object is an ordinary chondrite. It contains olivine, iron, sulfites, pyrites and other complex minerals. The Chelyabinsk meteorite contains traces of titanium iron ore and inclusions of native copper, which is unusual for chondrites. Cracks in the body are filled with a vitreous substance mixed with silicates. The thickness of the melting crust is 1 mm.
Scientists have found that the age of the mother’s body, from which a piece broke off, which later became the Chelyabinsk meteorite, is at least 4 billion (!) Years. "Our" piece, before falling to Earth, wandered in outer space for some time, colliding with other cosmic bodies ...
Fearfully? Worrying ...
Scientists around the world to this day diligently study the material presented. Many knowledgeable experts have suggested that this is not just a meteorite, but a harbinger of an asteroid. Some even thought that soon a large asteroid would arrive on Earth, and then the destruction would be catastrophic. But Anatoly Zaitsev, director of the Center for Planetary Defense of the Earth from Asteroids, explained that this is only a theory. And he assured that nothing threatens the population of the planet, and they are closely watching the celestial bodies flying by.
Life after a meteorite fall
The meteorite that fell in Chelyabinsk attracted the attention of the masses, caused a lot of controversy and speculation. Conversations and rumors around the event have not ceased to this day. The city near Lake Chebarkul has become known around the world. Scientists went here: geochemists, physicists, astronomers. Everyone wanted to see with their own eyes a messenger from outer space.
The fall of the meteorite in Chelyabinsk has become profitable in terms of tourism. The owner of a major travel agency Andrei Orlov says that shortly after the event, calls from America and Japan began to arrive. Someone wanted an individual tour, many wanted to organize a group trip to the site of the fall of the famous meteorite.
Demand gives rise to an invitation, which is why all the guidebooks added to the significant places of the Chelyabinsk region a zone called the Chebarkul meteorite. The price for a trip to the now historic lake varies from 5,000 to 20,000 rubles.
There is no silver lining: at the official level
The Chelyabinsk authorities with the help of the event of 02.15.2013 decided to go down in the history of the Olympic Games. They created several precious metal medals with a meteorite insert. Such an award will be given to every athlete who will take a prize in competitions held on February 15th. Everything that remains unused from the fragments found will go to museums in Russia and to private collections.
Some particularly large exhibits were collected and relevant documentation prepared. A tour of the museums of the Russian Federation will be made with this material. Every resident of the country should see a piece of meteorite. In Moscow, the demonstration took place on January 17, 2014. Many materials will replenish the collection of the famous Moscow planetarium. For this event, developed several thematic stands and posters.
The birth of brands
While rescuers raked up the consequences of the disaster that the meteorite that fell in Chelyabinsk caused, many entrepreneurs did not waste time and actively used the fall of the celestial body for commercial purposes. An excellent reaction in this area was Andrey Orlov, the mayor of the Chebarkul city district. Here, with his light hand, a contest was organized for the most interesting brand name. The winner was promised a piece of meteorite as a prize. Under interesting names such as “Chebarkul meteor”, “Ural meteorite”, “Chelyabinsk - the capital of a meteorite”, “Meteorite in Chelyabinsk” and “Che!”, Confectionery and alcoholic beverages began to be produced.
Strike while the iron is hot
Various companies began to produce clothing with the appropriate print, mugs, plates and even puzzles. First, T-shirts with a comic inscription became popular among the locals, and then the inhabitants of all Russia: "Nothing invigorates like a meteorite in the morning!" It is worth noting the very original idea of the Chelyabinsk perfume company. She decided to create unusual spirits called the Chebarkul meteorite. Perfumers say that the aroma of this "space object" will include components of stone and metal.
Ordinary residents of the Urals have also shown enterprise. A meteorite in Chelyabinsk did its job. Photos of him scattered at great speed on the Internet. Thousands of requests per minute testified to how many there are people who want to see the place of fall and the celestial object itself. One resourceful resident of the Ural town sold a microwave on the Internet market, which burned out under the influence of a shock wave. An unknown American bought such a strange thing, but for this acquisition he asked to send a couple of local newspapers with news about the meteorite’s fall in Chelyabinsk. Some exposed pieces of glass that shattered from an explosion when dropped. And all these things were snapped up by strange collectors. Pieces of the meteorite itself were especially valued. The lowest price for a splinter began at 10,000 rubles, the highest was 10,000,000 rubles. The police encountered natural fraudsters who gave out ordinary stones for a celestial object.
The "healing" properties of the meteorite
Hundreds of inhabitants came to Lake Chebarkul and dreamed of finding not only an expensive stone, but also a "healing one." Charlatans - magicians and sorcerers - with the help of such fragments removed damage and treated for the most terrible diseases, drove out evil spirits. Entire legends and myths were invented about the influence of the “space guest” on a person, depending on the zodiac sign. And how many amulets with a piece of this body have already spread around the world! The meteorite was attributed simply magical properties, although in reality it does not have any healing power.
Interesting facts about the fall of the Chelyabinsk meteorite
A meteorite fell in Chelyabinsk, which made a lot of noise around the world. Scientists were able to once again study the cosmic body, and someone just made good money on this event. It is worth noting some interesting points and facts about the Chelyabinsk meteorite:
- The largest piece of meteorite fell to the bottom of Lake Chebarkul.
- EMERCOM of Russia claimed that it informed residents about the upcoming event via SMS, but this turned out to be a lie.
- Many television channels showed not a crater from a meteorite fall, but a gas crater in Turkmenistan.
- Many residents of Chelyabinsk specially broke their windows, simulating the effects of the blast wave. They wanted to receive new plastic windows from the state as material assistance to the victims.
- The diameter of the funnel from a meteorite fall was 6 meters.
- 470 kilotons of energy was released during the explosion of a celestial body.
- Scientists have calculated that a meteorite of such magnitude falls on the Earth once a hundred years.
- It is believed that the meteorite went unnoticed due to the fact that it flew from the sun. That is why telescopes did not record the approaching celestial body.