Deadly Meteorites Routinely Explode on Earth

Last year, a meteorite exploded 23 kilometers above Chelyabinsk, Russia.  It was estimated to be 18 meters long with the mass of about 10,000 tons. If it had fallen in a populated area, an entire city could have been devastated. Luckily, the meteorite disintegrated and most of the fragments fell into Lake Chebarkul. Space rocks often enter the Earth’s atmosphere and usually explode and burn before falling to the ground. About 70 percent of our planet is covered with water so most...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mercredi 14 mai 2014