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Chelyabinsk meteorite of 2013

astronomical event, Russia
Also known as: Čel’abinsk meteorite of 2013, Chebarkul meteorite of 2013, Cheliabinsk meteorite of 2013(Show More)

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The Chelyabinsk meteorite of 2013 was an astronomical event in Russia where a 17-meter-wide asteroid broke up in the atmosphere. This event injured over 1,500 people, primarily due to shattered glass from the resulting shock wave. Such an impact event, while significant, is estimated to occur roughly once per century.1

Impact events are collisions between astronomical bodies, such as asteroids or comets, and larger objects like planets. While most impacts involve small objects, larger ones can create craters and significantly alter planetary environments. The Tunguska event in Siberia in 1908, caused by an object exploding in the atmosphere, is the largest impact event in recorded history.23

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