Meteorites from Russian Fireball Possibly Found
By
Andrea Thompson
A
group of Russian scientists has reported finding small meteorites from the
fireball that exploded over the Chelyabinsk region in a blinding light, sending
a shockwave that caused millions of dollars in damage in the city.
NASA
has estimated that the Russian meteor was 55 feet (17 meters)
in diameter and weighed about 10,000 tons when it entered Earth’s atmosphere on
Friday (Feb. 15). The meteor was travelling 40,000 mph (64,373 km/h) when it
exploded in a flash brighter than the sun.
While
most of the meteor likely vaporized in the atmosphere, the rock was big enough
that plenty of pieces likely fell to Earth, experts have said.
Now,
scientists with the Urals Federal University announced that they had found
"53 small, stony, black objects" around a lake near Chelyabinsk, Reuters reported. The lake, Lake
Chebarkul, is the same one where a 20-foot-wide hole in the thick ice cover was
thought to have been caused by a chunk of the meteor. [ Meteor Streaks Over
Russia, Explodes (Photos) ]
Divers
have been exploring the frigid waters, but have found no signs of meteorite
fragments. Russian officials have said they think the hole was caused by
something else and have shifted their focus to cleaning up from the shockwave
damage, AFP has reported.
The
meteor was unrelated to an asteroid, 2012 DA14, that made an extremely close
flyby of Earth on Friday, passing within 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers), but
never posing a threat to the planet.
Ural
university scientists said that they had confirmed that the fragments they
found were in fact meteorites (the term once a meteor has landed on the Earth’s
surface). Tests they performed showed that they were chondrite, or stony,
meteorites, the most common type of meteorite in the solar system, Reuters
quoted one of the scientists as saying.
The
meteorite fragments were a mere 0.2 to 0.4 inches (0.5 to 1 centimeters)
across, Reuters
Hundreds injured, millions of dollars of
damage, panic widespread; “Gold Rush”…these were some of the news headlines out
of Russia on Friday (021513) of this past week.
Yet, the news keeps coming as “scientist…[have found] 53 small, stony,
black objects" around a lake in the Ural mountains where a 20 foot hole
was made by the possible meteor take a plunge.
I have been thinking about this over the
last few days and have come up with a prevailing thought for all of us to mull
over.
While thinking over these events the last
three days, I have been reminded that God is in control of all things. His hand directs the affairs of man, His
creation, and all things that take place.
We think we are so big that we can control or make things happen but God
is in control. He is on His Throne. He watches over the affairs of man.
In recent weeks many have been watching the
developments going on around the world.
A test of nuclear weapons here, the troubles with riots there, and gun
control in America. Often we become some
overcome with what is right before our eyes we fail to look up and see what God
might be up to, or what He might be about to do.
A scripture which comes to mind is from
Luke:
“There shall be signs in the sun, and in the
moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with
perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear,
and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the
powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming
in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to
pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”
(Luke 21:25-28 KJV)
Notice that Jesus is warning the people of the time to
come, that time that will bring all of creation to an end. The sun, the moon, and the stars will reveal
His plan; the seas and the waves will “roar”; the nations will be struggling
with internal, as well as external strife.
Does any of this sound familiar to you?
In reading this verse we must take special notice of the
last words. Jesus says these are signs,
signs of what is to come, but also an invitation. It is an invitation to look up; God’s people
looking up to see the coming King of kings and Lord of Lords. “When there things come to pass, then look
up, lift up your head, for your redemption draweth nigh.”
That is the reason we see in Matthew these important
words:
“You are going to hear of wars
and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, because these things must
take place, but the end is not yet.” (Matthew 24:6 HCSB)
Personally, I think these things are
warnings of what is to come. God in His sovereign
will is working all things out to His good. (Romans 8:28) His plan will come to fruition and all things
will be ruled by Him. How this will
happen is found in the Word of God; who will be involved in this plan is found
there as well. When all of these things
will come to pass, only God knows and in His perfect plan and in His perfect
will, He will have the trumpet sound and all hell will break loose and in the
end God will win.
“Even
so, Lord Jesus, come.”
No comments:
Post a Comment