The roughly 60-foot space rock plunged into Earth’s atmosphere and exploded over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk with the force of about 30 early nuclear bombs.
The bulk strength of the Chelyabinsk asteroid, at about 1 megapascal, was similar to that of smaller meteoroids and corresponds to a heavily fractured single stone.
Atmospheric physicist Nick Gorkavyi missed witnessing an event of the century last winter when a meteor exploded over his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia.