Meteorite strike Russian mountains  Meteorite strike Russian
mountains  meteoriteOn Friday 15th February, a large meteorite
crashed into Russia’s Ural Mountains. Latest reports suggest
1200 people were injured by the incident with a number of people
still being treated in hospital. Although there are some reports
of fragments of the meteor striking the ground the vast majority
of damage in the region is believed to have caused by shockwaves
of the explosion, as the rock shattered into several fragments
up in the upper atmosphere. The resulting shockwave blew out
windows and shook buildings. Fortunately, no large fragments hit
populated areas; however a 6m crater has been discovered at a
frozen lake near Chebarkul, where a large fragment is thought to
have impacted.  Asteroids are small bodies that, like the Earth,
orbit stars. They predominantly rock and elements such as nickel
and iron. Small asteroids are known as meteoroids and, if these
enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they are called meteors. Many
meteors b