Video: Meteor falls over Russia
- Published
Ricky's been finding out more about the meteorite strike
A meteor has fallen over Russia - injuring almost 1000 people and damaging buildings.
Asteroids are small bodies that orbit the Sun as the Earth does
Larger asteroids are called planetoids or minor planets, smaller ones often called meteoroids
Once any of these enters our planet's atmosphere, it becomes a meteor
Many meteors break into pieces or burn up entirely as they speed through the atmosphere
Once meteors or fragments actually impact the surface, they become meteorites
Most of those people hurt only suffered minor cuts and bruises but windows were blown out of buildings.
A fireball was seen racing through the sky above the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, followed by loud bangs.
Reports say that the meteor landed in a lake near Chebarkul, a town in the neighbouring Chelyabinsk region.
Thousands of rescue workers have now arrived in the area to provide help.
Students from Chelyabinsk university captured footage of the meteor
Officials say fragments falling from a large meteor that partially burned up in the lower atmosphere caused the damage.
Debris also reportedly fell on the west Siberian region of Tyumen.