Constantly, astronomical objects called meteorites are falling on our planet from space. These rocks are detached from the cosmic bodies, especially comets, which, under the action of gravity, end up falling on the Earth’s surface. A team of Canadian researchers from the National Institute of Astrophysics in Ottawa concluded that the annual amount of meteorite that falls on our planet is equivalent to 21 tons. Their sizes ranges from that of a grain of wheat to the rocks that weigh more than a ton.
Meteor Shower in China. February 11, 2012
A year ago, on February 11, the mainland of China was hit by nearly 100 meteorites. The largest meteor found weighed almost 13 pounds. It is believed that these rocks came from the rings surrounding Jupiter.
Sutter Mill
The meteorite named Sutter Mill hit the Earth’s crust on April 22, 2012. It entered the atmosphere somewhere over Nevada, USA, heading towards Earth at a speed of 29 km per second. It exploded over Washington and the force of the explosion was equal to that of a load of 3 tons of dynamite.
Turkmenistan
Before it hit Earth, residents say they saw in the sky a very strong light. The larger meteorite that was discovered in a field of cotton weighed about 820 pounds, forming an impact crater with an area of over 5 meters. “International Meteorite Society” deals with the study and cataloging meteorites, and they determined that this large meteor that landed on the territory of Turkmenistan has more than 4 billion years old.
