I was fascinated with the recent meteorite fall in Siberia (I always wanted to go to Siberia and if I remain a libertarian I might get my wish!) and look at these recent videos from Russia Today. Here and Here!
So, Sandy, why did the blast come so much later than the visual viewing? In fact, I would speculate that many got hurt by broken glass observing the meteor trail through a glass window. But it is the same principle as the lightning being seen immediately (because light travels at about 186,282 miles per second) while the thunder (traveling at 1100 feet per second) takes a few seconds. Since the explosion was probbaly several miles above the earth, it took a number of seconds for the blast force to reach the earth. So, the lesson is If you happen to see a meteor strike like this – stay away from the windows until the blast arrives!
By the way today is the 540th anniversary of the birth of Nicolas Copernicus, the Polish scientist who first published that the earth revolves around the sun. See today’s Google page!
