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 Noem, Pritzker clash after agents shoot woman in Chicago. Mark Sanchez hospitalized after stabbing. A Delta flight got wild with an allegedly unruly passenger. A naughty rabbit kicked off the 51st season of Saturday Night Live. Report an error