The Russian meteor was very big. The last estimate I've seen is around 10,000 tons. Yow!
It is however, as far as I know, the first one on record to have caused significant injuries. (I researched this when I was doing an article on meteors.) The last one of comparable size was the Tunguska event in 1908. One of this size occurs, on average, about once a century.
However meteors of various sizes are falling all the time. At least 3000 kg fall annually, most of it in the form of micrometeorites and in the oceans or deserts.
But the asteroid is unrelated. 2012 DA14 was discovered almost exactly a year ago. The orbit was calculated and it was announced that it would come closest to the Earth on February 15 and that it would be closer than some geostationary satellites, but wouldn’t hit the Earth, and was unlikely to hit any of the satellites. (
Planetary Society press release) And this is exactly what happened yesterday. It was coming from a different direction and on a different trajectory to the meteor which
did strike the Earth.
You're right that it would be sensible to take note of all of this and step up the work of bodies who are trying to locate near Earth objects and keep track of them, as well as work out what we might do if one is discovered that is on a collision course with Earth. (BTW The Hollywood solutions would cause more damage than doing nothing at all.)
