Hoba meteorite

The Hoba meteorite ( Hoba Meteorite English, in the literature also sometimes referred to only as Hoba ) is so far the largest meteorite found on Earth. It is located on the grounds of " Hoba " farm in the Otavibergen, about 20 kilometers west of Grootfontein in Namibia.

Since March 15, 1955 or April 13, 1979 he is a National Monument.

Description

The information on the weight fluctuate between 50 and 60 tons. Its original dimensions were 2.70 meters x 2.70 meters x 0.90 meters. The meteorite struck about 80,000 years ago on earth and is still in the original position. Its estimated age of 190-410 million years.

The meteorite consists of about 82 % of iron, to about 16 % of nickel and about 1% of cobalt. It also contains a number of trace elements such as chromium, gallium, germanium, iridium, carbon, copper, sulfur, and zinc. Meteorites with nickel contents of about 15 % are referred to as Ataxites.

Discovery

From the impact of the meteorite crater was no longer obtained, and the discovery was accidental. As the owner of the land plowed his field with an ox, he heard a metallic scraping noise before the plow suddenly stopped. Shortly thereafter, the meteorite was exposed and identified and described by the scientist Jacobus Hermanus Brits. The report was published in 1920 and can be seen in Grootfontein Museum.

More history

The owner in 1987, J. Engelbrecht, given the area around the meteorite around the Council of Monuments. Thereupon the area around the meteorite around by the Council of Monuments and the Rössing Uranium Ltd.. designed.

The soil around the meteorite was excavated and created a sort of amphitheater. Furthermore, toilets, occupies one of a path to the meteorite, a small house with a cash shop and picnic areas have been created.