Best Videos From Meteor Strike in Russia

Posted by Jeff Hertrick of National Geographic Society on February 15, 2013
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Friday’s meteor strike over the city of Chelyabinsk, Russia allowed dashboard cams and people with hand-held cameras to capture some fascinating moments. Here are some of the best ones.

The above video captures the sounds of glass breaking and car alarms set off by the meteor’s shock wave.

(News Article: Meteorite Fragments Injure a Thousand in Russia )

The below video is from a car’s dashboard camera which, judging from the number of such videos posted today, are pretty prevalent in Russia:

( NASA -JPL astrobiologist discusses space objects that threaten Earth-  Video: Predicting Meteorite Impacts )

This video is louder, capturing the violent aural drama of the moment:

Pictures: Giant Meteorite Hits Russia

From Our Vault: 1897 Meteorite Recovery

And this one shows a long streak across the sky before the jarring sound of the shock wave arrives:

And another dashboard cam. This video is different because the vehicle is stopped, allowing for a full view of the trajectory of the meteor:

A meteorite streaks across the sky over Kamensk-Uralsky.

A meteorite streaks across the sky over Kamensk-Uralsky. Video still from Reuters TV

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Comments

  1. Dominic
    Right behind you
    May 2, 1:01 am

    First, a message to those whom believe these were extraterrestrials: go back to History Channel website. National Geographic is a site for facts and learning, not for some crazy bunch of conspiracies. (not dismissing the very real possibility of other sentient life forms, just saying that it’s real unlikely that they have visited Earth). As for the impact, well, those videos were just amazing. I love how towards the end of the second to last video, they just started laughing. Russians are fearless, man!

  2. Sergey
    February 28, 2:15 am

    It’s else no final

  3. copjjal
    mexico
    February 24, 12:35 pm

    muy impresionante

  4. guy
    February 22, 9:30 am

    really an alien probe ?

  5. Kezy
    Earth
    February 21, 7:46 am

    Have they really confirmed that this wasn’t an alien probe?

  6. benjamin Hayden
    boston, ma
    February 19, 11:05 am

    that driver in the second video is a maniac

  7. sheraz
    pakistan
    February 19, 5:24 am

    good videos…..well captured…specially 2nd last was awesome and clear view

  8. Justin Kloski
    Boston, MA
    February 18, 12:27 am

    Imagine ice skating on the lake it landed in

  9. Nadya
    February 17, 4:04 pm

    Cant stop laughing at the videos which include so mich foul language. Hahahahaha

  10. Tashi
    Kathmandu
    February 17, 2:28 pm

    Very less to worry about meteors for us as the real threat is the government here for us

  11. Steve
    Staten Island ny
    February 17, 1:13 pm

    That was awesome!!

  12. Aymeric
    France
    February 17, 9:03 am

    I wonder if Russian authorities had the opportunity to send something in the meteor streak cloud so as to collect samples, did they are did they cloud faded away too quickly ?

    I witnessed once a meteor streak. Was in summer 2004, while i was staying in Chapursan valley, North Pakistan. I was having a smoke outdoor before sleeping and suddenly, the dark starry night turned into full day light (uh??) nearly right above me (but far above the peaks for sure) was this big ball of fire speeding Northward ! woaaaah ! The amazing sight lasted 3-4 seconds, then faded away. Probably the meteor touched ground in Afghanistan or Tajikistan. unforgettable !

  13. Muhammad Fahim
    February 17, 5:29 am

    And We rained upon them a rain [of stones]. Then see how was the end of the criminals.

    Al Quran, Chapter 7, Verse 84

  14. ezzo
    February 17, 2:01 am

    this is to see god action against what they produce of arms to kill people

  15. Mike Goerke
    Kentucky
    February 16, 6:40 pm

    This is NOT a meter. I repeat NOT a meteor but an alien space craft that was downed by the US space agency stragetically to drop over Russia.

  16. Dianne
    February 16, 1:40 pm

    How much radiation has reached the ground from this exploding meteorite?

  17. Euclides Zoto
    February 16, 10:20 am

    Well…….that solves the mystery of the Tunguska event.

  18. Rimon
    Houston
    February 16, 1:10 am

    What a interesting and importent event this people witnessed.I used to live in Russia.I wish I was there !!!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. JuJu
    Illinois
    February 15, 9:29 pm

    The second video has a date of 12/31/2012

  20. hendro
    Indonesia
    February 15, 9:13 pm

    amazing but scary

  21. A Qui Tam Relator
    February 15, 7:21 pm

    Is this why the world governments have been on a crash program to dig underground tunnels interlinking them throughout the Midwest and toward the Rockies ?

    China has built thousands of miles of roadway tunnels.

    Google it !

  22. vzgo
    February 15, 5:02 pm

    dang, russians swear a lot

  23. Brad
    Long Island, NY, USA
    February 15, 4:28 pm

    Very Cool.

    In the 4th video, the sonic boom hits at around time index 29. With sound traveling at roughly 1100 fps, that puts the nearest approach to the camera at no less than 6 miles … probably more, since the video started AFTER the meteor had already streaked past. And naturally, everyone seemed surprised by the sonic boom and few if any took cover.

  24. Carey Procter
    St.Thomas , Ontario , Canada
    February 15, 3:40 pm

    Barring any injuries , this is very interesting . I witnessed a meteor streak across the sky and actually made landfall near Windsor , Ontario . This happened back in 1983 . Though the meteorite was the size of a softball , it did not explode like this one did , which caused some real damage . I Hope nobody was seriously injured .

  25. roman
    February 15, 1:57 pm

    wow….!!!

  26. Kaed
    Indiana
    February 15, 1:21 pm

    First
    Also RRRUUUNNN!