The Day a Meteor Exploded Over Russia Like 30 Nukes

Added: 2026-06-01

[00:00:00]13 years ago today, a house-sized meteor screamed toward Earth and exploded over Russia with the force of 30 nuclear bombs. The city of Chelabinsk was just waking up. People were heading to work and school, sipping coffee, and checking phones, unaware that the sky was about to deliver a shock. Suddenly, a blinding flash lit the horizon. A fireball brighter than the sun tore across the sky at 19 km/s. At 30 kilometers altitude, the rock exploded, releasing a shock wave that hit the city like a massive fist. Windows shattered, walls cracked, and over 2500 people ended up in hospitals, mostly from flying glass.

[00:00:38]The event woke up scientists worldwide, prompting new programs to spot near-Earth objects before they catch us offguard. Governments and private investors started allocating cash for telescopes and deflection experiments, hoping to avoid the next surprise. If that meteor struck during a Tik Tok live stream today, the internet would melt down in seconds.