Science | sun Russia Meteor Had Steamy Past Scientists suspect it had near-miss with sun By Rob Quinn Posted Aug 27, 2013 1:39 AM CDT Copied In this frame grab from dashboard camera video, a meteor streaks through the sky over Chelyabinsk, Russia. (AP Photo/AP Video) The colossal meteor that exploded over Russia earlier this year had been with other celestial bodies before, scientists say. Analysis of fragments of the Chelyabinsk meteor—the biggest to hit Earth in more than a century—have revealed signs of melting that researchers believed was caused by either a collision with something else in the solar system or a near-miss with the sun, Space.com reports. The explosion left fragments of the meteor scattered over a large area of central Russia, and scientists hope to learn more of its secrets when they recover the biggest piece from the bottom of a lake. Read These Next Now we know why Ghislaine Maxwell may have opened up to the DOJ. South Park episode on Trump may be a real 'mess' for him. The sheriff says he's never seen a worse case of child sex abuse. We knew Letterman would pipe up about Colbert eventually. Report an error