A 10-ton meteor exploded above the surface of the Earth near the Ural Mountains on February 15. People observed a burst of light in the sky and heard an explosion, as fragments of the meteor fell to the ground.
THE ASAHI SHIMBUN/GETTY IMAGES
An Icy Crash
A fragment of the meteor is thought to have created this 20-foot-wide hole in the ice that covers Chebarkul Lake in the Chelyabinsk region.
RIA NOVOSTI—XINHUA/ZUMAPRESS.COM
Meteor Fragments
A researcher holds up tiny fragments of the meteor that were found in Chebarkul Lake. Scientists are searching for fragments to test in the hopes of identifying it's contents.
OLEG KARGOPOLOV—AFP/GETTY IMAGES
A Costly Event
A local zinc plant in the Chelyabinsk region was damaged by a shockwave from the meteor explosion. Governor Mikhail Yurevich estimates that the total damage will cost $33 million to repair.
The meteor's shockwaves also caused windows to shatter, like this one in the city of Chelyabinsk. The blast hurt nearly 1,500 people across the region, many from injuries caused by shattered glass and other debris. To read more about the meteor, click here.