Russian scientists on Monday hailed the finding of what they said was the largest yet fragment of a meteorite that came crashing through the skies over Siberia and exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains last week.
The find was among a large number of fragments brought back from the Federal University of the Urals by a ski expedition team.
"We haven't been able count [the fragments], but we believe it's more than 100," said Victor Grokhovsky, member of the meteorite committee at the university.
"But the most significant among them was a fragment, which Masha PInkova found yesterday evening, not even 24 hours ago, that weighs 1.8 kilograms," he explained. "It's the largest fragment of this meteor that we have found to this day."
The meteorite hurtled above the Siberian city of Chelyabinsk on February 15, leaving behind a plume of smoke as it tore through the atmosphere, frightening residents with terrifyingly loud sonic booms.
Locals said they saw a big meteorite fall into ice-covered Chebarkul Lake leaving a 20ft-wide hole in the ice.
Mr Grokhovsky said further surveys would have to be carried out in order for a fuller assessment to be made and that a team from the university was preparing to go the Cherbakul lake for further testing.
Russian health officials said earlier this week that almost 1,500 people were injured by the meteorite's arrival.
Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
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