Understand more about the meteor that struck Russia on February 15, 2013 with NOVA tonight at 9PM

On February 15, 2013 the largest asteroid since the Tunguska event (also in Siberia) of 1908 collided with Earth. This time, literally thousands of video images were captured of the event providing scientists with a wealth of information to investigate. Tonight on NOVA, you can journey with scientists in Russia as they explore the meteor, its origin and subsequent impact on the area in Meteor Strike at 9PM on GPB.

Preceded by a blinding flash of light, the 7,000 ton asteroid exploded with the power of 30 Hiroshima bombs, according to NASA. Incredibly, no one was killed by the blast, though more than 1,000 people were injured by debris.

NOVA will compare this strike with others in the past, providing perspective to the very recent event. We’ll find out where it comes from as well as what this rock is made of. Should we all watch for a boom in the moissanite market? How likely is this to happen again? Will we be warned about it if another big one strikes again? Was it an asteroid similar to this one that took out the dinosaurs?

Watch Meteor Strike Preview on PBS. See more from NOVA.

If you can't wait until tonight, check out NOVA's Q&A with asteroid expert Don Yeomans. This interview is from 2006, so you won't find any answers about the one that struck Russia this year, but you will find some really great discussion about asteroids.