Southern Russia bore the brunt of a meteor shower on February 15, 2013. According to reports, residents in Chelyabinsk in Russia heard a loud bang and saw a bright white flash in the sky, which resulted in window panes bursting. Around 400 people have been injured by broken glass, with a few suffering critical injuries.
The local Emergency Ministry said that at least 9 people have been hospitalized due to their injuries. The explosion-like sound was centered around 50 miles away from Satka city and caused widespread panic. Many people even thought the world was coming to an end at the sight of the white smoke-like substance in the sky.
There was no impact on the Earth, as the meteorite burnt out in the lower atmosphere over the Ural district. The main damaged caused by the meteorite was broken glass in high-rise buildings, mostly due to the shock wave from the outer-space projectile.
The 2012 DA14 asteroid is also due to pass Earth today. It is considered to be around 45 meters long and will not cause any damage to the planet. People living in Asia, Australia and Eastern Europe will have the best view of the cosmic event from the telescopes, as it is not visible to the naked eye.
