The object approached Earth undetected before its atmospheric entry, in part because its radiant (source direction) was close to the Sun. This was 26 to 33 times as much energy as that released from the atomic bomb detonated at Hiroshima. The asteroid had a total kinetic energy before atmospheric impact equivalent to the blast yield of 400–500 kilotons of TNT (about 1.4–1.8 PJ), estimated from infrasound and seismic measurements. Most of the object's energy was absorbed by the atmosphere, creating a large shock wave. The explosion generated a bright flash, producing a hot cloud of dust and gas that penetrated to 26.2 km (16.3 mi 86,000 ft), and many surviving small fragmentary meteorites. The object exploded in a meteor air burst over Chelyabinsk Oblast, at a height of about 29.7 km (18.5 mi 97,000 ft). Some eyewitnesses also reported feeling intense heat from the fireball. It was observed in a wide area of the region and in neighbouring republics. The light from the meteor was briefly brighter than the Sun, visible as far as 100 km (60 mi) away. It was caused by an approximately 18 m (59 ft) diameter, 9,100-tonne (10,000-short-ton) near-Earth asteroid that entered the atmosphere at a shallow 18.3 ± 0.4 degree angle with a speed relative to Earth of 19.16 ± 0.15 kilometres per second (69,000 km/h 42,690 mph). The Chelyabinsk meteor was a superbolide that entered Earth's atmosphere over the southern Ural region in Russia on 15 February 2013 at about 09:20 YEKT (03:20 UTC). Over 7,200 buildings damaged, collapsed factory roof, shattered windows, $33 million (2013 USD) lost
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