Russian scientists revealed minerals contained in Chebarkul meteorite
The studies have determined that the main minerals of the pieces are the silicates olivine and orthopyroxene. The pieces also contain ferric sulphide, nickel sulphide, native metals such as nickel meteor iron (kamacite and taenite), chromite, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and feldspathic glass. Read more
Queen's astronomer offers insight into Russian meteor strike in BBC Horizon special
A leading Queen's astronomer is appearing on the BBCs Horizon programme this weekend to explain what we know about the asteroid that hit Russia two weeks ago injuring more than 1000 people. In The Truth About Meteors: A Horizon Special to be shown at 9pm on Sunday evening on BBC2, Professor Alan Fitzsimmons from Queens Astrophysics Research Centre gives an insight into what happened in Russia and what we can do about such events in the future. Read more
Possible risks of eBay sales of Chelyabinsk meteorite fragments
Fragments of a meteorite which fell in the Chelyabinsk Region in mid-February have surfaced on eBay. Although sales of the meteorite fragments are brisk, Russian lawyers have not yet decided whether or not this trade is legal. Moreover, they are continuing to debate whether meteorite fragments should be classified as mushrooms, treasure, or cultural landmarks. Depending on this classification, sellers and buyers alike could be brought to account, and may even face criminal charges. Read more
Divers find Russian meteorite craters in Chebarkul Lake
Divers searching Chebarkul Lake in Russias Urals region have found several craters that may be the impact zones of fragments of the now-famous meteorite that exploded over the area on February 15. Read more
Fragments said to be from the meteor that plunged over Russia's Ural region are being sold online in China at prices ranged from 8,000 yuan to 100,000 yuan. Read more
The meteor that caused at least 1,000 injuries in Russia after a startling and powerful daytime explosion one week ago has been identified as a chondrite. Russian scientists who analysed fragments of the meteor, whose large size and well-documented impact made it a rarity, say that its composition makes it the most common type of meteor we encounter here on Earth. Read more
Russian meteorite hunters search for bit of space history
While many people have been helping clean up the devastation caused by the meteor which came down in the Russian Urals last week, others have been searching the shores of Lake Chebarkul- which it is thought to have struck - for tiny fragments of the space rock. Read more
Title: A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk Meteoroid Authors: Jorge I. Zuluaga, Ignacio Ferrin
In February 15 2013 a medium-sized meteoroid impacted the atmosphere in the region of Chelyabinsk, Russia. After its entrance to the atmosphere and after travel by several hundred of kilometres the body exploded in a powerful event responsible for physical damages and injured people spread over a region enclosing several large cities. We present in this letter the results of a preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid. Using evidence gathered by one camera at the Revolution Square in the city of Chelyabinsk and other videos recorded by witnesses in the close city of Korkino, we calculate the trajectory of the body in the atmosphere and use it to reconstruct the orbit in space of the meteoroid previous to the violent encounter with our planet. In order to account for the uncertainties implicit in the determination of the trajectory of the body in the atmosphere, we use Monte Carlo methods to calculate the most probable orbital parameters. We use this result to classify the meteoroid among the near Earth asteroid families finding that the parent body belonged to the Apollo asteroids. Although semimajor axis and inclination of the preliminary orbit computed by us are uncertain, the rest of orbital elements are well constrained in this preliminary reconstruction.