Celestial hemisphere:  Southern  ·  Constellation: Hydra (Hya)  ·  Contains:  Extremely wide field
The Hoba Meteorite, vikas chander
The Hoba Meteorite
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The Hoba Meteorite

The Hoba Meteorite, vikas chander
The Hoba Meteorite
Powered byPixInsight

The Hoba Meteorite

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Did this meteorite strike Earth during the Geminids Meteor shower?  The meteorite came down about 20 km west of Grootfontein, Namibia about 80,000 years ago and still remains at the same place, which is not surprising, considering its weight of 50 tons. Its name, the Hoba meteorite is derived from the farm it was found in. Discovery was by chance when the resident farmer’s plough got stuck on the boulder and subsequent excavation of the sand around it, revealed its actual size of 2.7m x 2.20m x 1m. Consisting of nearly 80% iron, one can see the metal gleam at the edges of the meteorite where over enthusiastic visitors have scraped the surface. In 1955, the Hoba Meteorite was declared a National Monument of Namibia and today it has been developed as a tourist attraction with viewing terraces build around it …..

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The Hoba Meteorite, vikas chander

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Southern Hemisphere Astro