Earth-viewing satellite perspectives on the Chelyabinsk meteor event

Satellite observations of large meteors (superbolides) offer important insight on trajectory through the atmosphere, and by extension, to orbital parameters that enable source attribution. On February 15, 2013, at 0920 local time, a superbolide exploded in the stratosphere near Chelyabinsk, Russia, issuing a large shock wave that damaged structures and injured hundreds below. The event was captured by Earth-viewing environmental satellites that provided multiangle views of the debris trail within minutes of formation. This paper documents these observations and their use to derive trajectory details. Results compare favorably with surface-based camera/video estimates, demonstrating the unconventional utility of satellites to characterize events that are more likely to occur away from a dense surface network.