The Space Rock Brighter Than Sun

When a 10,000-ton asteroid hit the Russian atmosphere in 2013, it flashed with such intensity that it briefly outshone the Sun. The shockwave from this hidden visitor shattered windows across a massive region.

This massive fireball entered our atmosphere at nearly 20 kilometers per second, moving so fast that it turned into a blinding superbolide. Despite being just 18 meters wide, the energy released was equivalent to hundreds of kilotons of TNT. Many witnesses even reported feeling a sudden, searing heat on their skin as the rock disintegrated overhead. It remains one of the most significant and well-documented cosmic impacts in human history.