Meteor events like Chelyabinsk and Tunguska are extremely rare. Very large asteroid events like the one that likely doomed the dinosaurs are even rarer—they happen only once every 100 million years or so.
Still, these space rocks are an important reminder that we live on a planet that is flying through space, and other objects are flying along with us. Someday, those objects may threaten our safety—but scientists around the world are working hard to develop ways to protect us.
Fortunately, no one in Chelyabinsk was killed or even seriously injured. Afterward, many people in the area took up a new hobby: hunting for meteorites. Why? Even small pieces of a meteorite can be worth thousands of dollars.
If you were to see a meteorite, though, you probably wouldn’t think it was anything special. Most look an awful lot like boring black rocks.
You might even walk right past it.