We use C and K to pinpoint the height (H) and distance from Chelyabinsk (d) of the brightness point (BP). We have images and eyewitness testimony from Chelyabinsk (C) and Korkino (K) and we think a piece of Chelby hit Lake Chebarkul (L). Second, they noted Chelby’s demise-the dimming of light associated with fragmentation.Ĭartoon of observations used to constrain Chelby’s trajectory. First, they recorded where Chelby’s light overpowered that of the Sun (the brightening point), creating new shadows in the video. Using distance-measuring tools on Google Earth and a whole bunch of trigonometry, they calculated the azimuth and elevation of Chelby at two significant times.
Because Chelby was brighter than the Sun (!), it cast obvious shadows from traffic signs, light poles, and the occasional train. These scientists used footage from a stationary security camera in Chelyabinsk’s Revolution Square. Images from these cameras are breathtaking, but, unfortunately, they have limited scientific utility, since it’s nearly impossible to know the exact position and orientation of these vehicles. Dashboard cameras are ubiquitous in Russia for a variety of (hilarious) reasons. Analysis of Chelby’s orbit, however, relies on an eclectic mix of data. Most astrophysics research is based on observations from telescopes. How did they do that? What are we doing to make sure that none of Chelby’s cousins wipe us out? But I can tell you that a pair of Colombian scientists has made the first attempt to figure out Chelby’s orbit. These simultaneous events reminded everyone that we face danger from space.ĭoes the universe hate us? I don’t know. While the arrival of the Chelyabinsk meteoroid (known as Chelby, as of now) surprised everyone, NASA scientists had been tracking the (much larger) near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14, which, coincidentally, passed between Earth and our network of geosynchronous satellites on the same day. You’ve probably seen the amazing video of a meteoroid streaking across the sky over Chelyabinsk on February 15, 2013, damaging thousands of buildings and injuring hundreds of people. In 1908, a massive meteoroid exploded over the Tunguska River in Siberia with the force of many nuclear bombs, leveling millions of trees and painting a frightening picture of a similar calamity in a populated region. Russia has it rough when it comes to cosmic hazards. Zuluaga and Ignacio Ferrinįirst Author’s Institution: Institute of Physics, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia Paper: A preliminary reconstruction of the orbit of the Chelyabinsk MeteoroidĪuthors: Jorge I.
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