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Showing Original Post only (View all)Neil deGrasse Tyson: Russian meteorite was 'once a decade' event [View all]
http://todaynews.today.com/_news/2013/02/15/16973245-neil-degrasse-tyson-russian-meteorite-was-once-a-decade-event?liteA large fireball rocketed across the skies over Russia's Chelyabinsk region early Friday, reportedly injuring about 400 people. But according to astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, the impact could have been much worse had it entered Earth's atmosphere above a more populated region.
"It's a shock wave ... this asteroid is coming in, it hits Earth's atmosphere, and it feels like a brick wall to it, because of how fast it's moving. When you hit a brick wall, you basically explode."
Likening the meteorite collision with our atmosphere to the impact of a bomb blast, Tyson explained that a shock wave of this magnitude "shatters glass, or anything fragile or breakable over a huge radius."
"It's a shock wave ... this asteroid is coming in, it hits Earth's atmosphere, and it feels like a brick wall to it, because of how fast it's moving. When you hit a brick wall, you basically explode."
Likening the meteorite collision with our atmosphere to the impact of a bomb blast, Tyson explained that a shock wave of this magnitude "shatters glass, or anything fragile or breakable over a huge radius."
Comments from a real astrophysicist, posted to counter some of the reporting from CT sites.
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Good of wind and rain to erode that rock over millions and millions of years...
SidDithers
Feb 2013
#5
Because billions of years ago, gravitational forces caused matter to condense...
SidDithers
Feb 2013
#10
The research I've read speculates that a few things may have happened, primarily a mystery cult
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2013
#29
The only proposed archeological evidence of a First Temple was proven to be fake also.
PufPuf23
Feb 2013
#34
Living in the Pacific NW, I can tell you for sure there have been some big floods in recent history
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2013
#36
"Just because we're right is no reason to get snippy." Ronald Reagan's Dead Republican Astrologer (R
Berlum
Feb 2013
#25
According to various reports (AP, USA Today) reported injuries range from 100-1000
Warren DeMontague
Feb 2013
#31
"We'll survive the day, I promise, chuckle" Thanks Neil, you make me feel better.
mountain grammy
Feb 2013
#8
Really? So I should have read of 5 or 6 other strikes on populated areas? I wonder where I've been.
WinkyDink
Feb 2013
#45
No, the point is that something this size happens somwhere on Earth about once a decade
muriel_volestrangler
Feb 2013
#47