Precursor to Friday’s near-miss asteroid reported to hit Russia

Throughout the week, news outlets have been reporting on the asteroid that will pass so close to Earth that it may knock out some GPS, telecommunication and/or television satellites. Now, RT is reporting that a part of it has already caused damage on the surface of the planet.

Youtube and twitter photos from Russians are showing a bright trail of light and even a ground-level fire – suspected to be from a precursor of the asteroid reported to pass close to Earth on Friday afternoon.

RT.com used a screen shot from this Youtube  vidoe posted by Gregor Grimm posted this photo of the supposed astroid:

The two contrails are more indicative of a jet than a meteor, but Russian and Western scientists have confirmed that an approximately 75 ton meteor entered the atmosphere and either exploded in the air or struck the ground over the Ural Mountains.

Several of the reports in the story try to relate it to the 1908 Tunguska event. In that near collision, a meteor came within several miles of Earth over Siberia and exploded causing massive devastation to trees and land, but no deaths. Had that meteor have come just a few hours later, millions of Europeans would likely have been incinerated.

This video from “potapow” on youtube shows something that looks much more like a meteor/meteorite event:

Several people reported loud bangs, shaking and windows being broken. It remains to be seen if this event (or events) was/were precursors to Friday afternoon’s expected passing of a huge asteroid near our planet.

Russia’s emergency ministry says that only one meteorite struck near the Russian town of Satka, in the Ural mountain region, while other reports site multiple meteorites.

Some minor injuries, mostly cuts from broken glass, have also been reported.