UPDATE: Scientists have now back peddled on an earlier statement that the meteorite that shook Russia was not tied to debris from Asteroid 2012 DA14. They have now believe it was a companion meteorite. That according to a physicist at Chelyabinsk State University.

It is believed the meteor struck the ground, though it has not been confirmed yet. The injured now number about 950. If you're wondering why the information being released is "a mess", that would be because this event took everyone by surprise and officials are scrambling to understand it.

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Maybe the Mayans were on the right track. At least Russians in the Urals region may think so.  They were surprised by a meteorite flying over the area. That was the cool part. The bad part was it dropped fireballs and debris as it sped by, breaking windows and causing havoc. At last count about 500 people were injured (mostly by shattered glass). Check out the videos below.

Later today, asteroid 2012 DA14 will zip by Earth and I can guarantee many will be holding their breath. The asteroid measures about 165 feet and will fly underneath satellite orbit. THAT is close!  A fun fact: if the asteroid did hit the Earth, the resulting explosion would be 1000 times more powerful than the nuclear bomb that devastated Hiroshima in 1945.

If you want to see the close call, NASA will be live-streaming the flyby via a telescope at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. ET today.

 

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