Tags: NASA, European Space Agency, Weather Satellite, Satellite Imagery
Publication: Space.com
Publication Date: 02/15/2013

The meteor that exploded over the Urals of central Russia was seen by Meteosat-9, at the edge of the satellite view. Image credit: Eumetsat

A weather satellite spotted the meteor that exploded the Ural Mountains in Russia early Friday morning. The object caused a sonic boom as it entered Earth’s atmosphere and injured hundreds of people in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, approximately 930 miles east of Moscow.

Weather satellite Meteosat-9, a joint venture between the European Space Agency and the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites launched in 2005, captured the images of the meteor streaking through the atmosphere.

According to reports, NASA experts have claimed the space rock’s explosion was brighter than the sun, remained visible for about 30 seconds, and it was unrelated to asteroid’s 2012 DA14 near-earth flyby.

 Full story