Associated with http://olkhov.narod.ru/gr1997.htm

CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE FEBRUARY 14, 2003 EARTHQUAKE LIGHTS EVENT IN RUSSIA

Here is a map of the region

Coordinates of the town of Tyukalinsk are 55 deg.55'N, 72 deg.13'E.

Below are reports from newspapers in Russian (you could use an electronic translator as http://babelfish.altavista.com/ , for example). The first one known to me is of April.

Next publications are of summer 2003 Below is from TRUD newspaper: Below is from KOMSOMOL'SKAYA PRAVDA newspaper:

The mentioned earthquake was detected as far away as in Finland and Norway.
Its preliminary data published were the following:
coordinates: 55.98N, 72.74E
origin time: Febr.13, 2003, 21:37:40.2 UTC
depth: 33 km (i.e. uncertain)
magnitude: M=4.2 (MPSP),(M~2.5 on surface waves, according to L.S. Chepkunas pers.comm. April 2004)

It is remarbale, that the earthquake is rather strong. A surface explosion in order of ~0.1-1 kt produces such earthquake (and a large crater left). It is remarkable that among a hundred witnesses (of seismic and sound) interrogated by the astronomers, just a few of them reported any luminous phenomena, while during a typical large meteorite fall the ratio is opposite.

As L.S. Chepkunas informed me, Russian seismologists are sure that it was a real earthquake, not a meteorite fall. And I can just agree with them. Russian seismologists are investigating details of the earthquake, and so I hope to post more info about it soon. In June 2004 L.S. Chepkunas informed me that the earthquake data was the following. It was recorded by 18 seismic stations at distances from 200 to 3300 km.
TIME ORIGIN: 03/02/13, 21:37:38.84 UTC
LATITUDE = 55.96 N +/- 4.8 km
LONGITUDE = 72.42 E +/- 4.4 km
DEPTH = 2.232 km +/- 1.7 km.
And according to L.S. coordinates of the "meteorite fall" were approx. 56.02 N, 72.33E

Meteorological situation was favourable for geophysical meteors, which apparently were confused with a "meteorite fall". Indeed, here is smoothed and averaged cloudiness data for

18-24Z, Febr.13

0-6Z, Febr.14
Indeed, there was a strong upsurge of cloudiness within several hours after the event. Moreover, an infrared satellite picture below taken just about a half an hour after the event (and showing clouds at the border of the area) reveals that the upsurge was rather sharp.

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