Friday, December 4, 2015

The biggest skipping stone on the planet.

The Hoba meteorite is thought to have fallen more recently than 80,000 years ago. The meteorite is unusual in that it is flat on both major surfaces, possibly causing it to have skipped across the top of the atmosphere in the way a flat stone skips on water. 


Hoba West meteorite lies on the farm "Hoba West", not far from Grootfontein, in the Otjozondjupa Region of Namibia. It has been uncovered but, because of its large mass, has never been moved from where it fell. The main mass is estimated at more than 60 tonnes, making it the largest known meteorite (as a single piece) and the most massive naturally occurring piece of iron known at the Earth's surface.


The Hoba meteorite left no preserved crater and its discovery was a chance event. The owner of the land, Jacobus Hermanus Brits, encountered the object while ploughing one of his fields with an ox. During this task, he heard a loud metallic scratching sound and the plough came to an abrupt halt. The obstruction was excavated, identified as a meteorite and described by Mr. Brits, whose report was published in 1920 and can be viewed at the Grootfontein Museum in Namibia.

1 comment:

  1. So cool!!...Next to hot springs watching meteor showers are my favorite cheap entertainment pleasures....
    I'd love to find even a little one...
    David

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