Hoba The meteorite in 2014 after becoming a tourist attraction Type Iron Class 12 Country Namibia Coordinates Coordinates: Fall date Less than 80,000 years ago Found date 1920 Related media on Wikimedia Commons

The Hoba[1] ( HOH-bə) meteorite, short for Hoba West, is a meteorite that lies on the farm of the same name, 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.[1] It is the largest known intact meteorite (as a single piece)[2] and about twice as massive as the largest fragment of either the Cape York meteorite's 31-tonne Ahnighito kept in Manhattan or the Campo del Cielo's 31-tonne Gancedo in Argentina. It is also the most massive naturally occurring piece of iron (actually ferronickel) known on Earth's surface. The name "Hoba" comes from Khoekhoegowab word meaning "gift".[3] It saw, on donation to the government, in 1987, its visitor centre's construction and its circular stone seating/steps area.

Impact [ edit ]

The Hoba meteorite impact is thought to have occurred more recently than 80,000 years ago. It is inferred[4] that the Earth's atmosphere slowed the object in such a way that it impacted the surface at terminal velocity, thereby remaining intact and causing little excavation (expulsion of earth). Assuming a drag coefficient of about 1.3, the meteor appears to have slowed to about 720 miles per hour (0.32 km/s) from an entry speed to the atmosphere typically in excess of 10 km/s. The meteorite is unusual in that it is flat on both major surfaces.

Discovery [ edit ]

The Hoba meteorite left no preserved crater and its discovery was a chance event. In 1920,[1] 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.

Friedrich Wilhelm Kegel took the first published photograph of the Hoba meteorite.[5]

Description and composition [ edit ]

Hoba is a tabloid body of metal, measuring 2.7×2.7×0.9 metres (8.9×8.9×3.0 ft). In 1920 its mass was estimated at 66 tonnes. Erosion, scientific sampling and vandalism reduced its bulk over the years. The remaining mass is estimated at just over 60 tonnes. The meteorite is composed of about 84% iron and 16% nickel, with traces of cobalt. It is classified as an ataxite iron meteorite belonging to the nickel-rich chemical class IVB. A crust of iron hydroxides is locally present on the surface, owing to weathering.

Modern history [ edit ]

In an attempt to control vandalism, with permission from farm-owner Mrs. O. Scheel, the government of South West Africa (now Namibia) on March 15, 1955, declared the Hoba meteorite to be a national monument.[6] Since 1979 the proclamation has been extended to land of 425m².[7] In 1985 Rössing Uranium Ltd. donated to the Namibian government for more protection.

In 1987 farm-owner Mr. J. Engelbrecht donated the meteorite and the site where it lies to the state for educational purposes. Later that year, the government opened a tourist centre at the site.[7] As a result of these developments, vandalism of the Hoba meteorite has ceased and it is now visited by thousands of tourists every year. It can be seen from satellite imaging.

The Hoba meteorite before the construction of the circular steps.

A woman sitting on the meteorite in 1967

365 pounds (166 kg) of the meteorite at the National Trust's Tatton Park near Manchester, England.

See also [ edit ]

Notes and references [ edit ]