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The Hoba Meteorite - Fragment of a Dwarf Planet

Written by Bernd Grahl | Aug 3, 2012 10:57:00 AM

 

The meteorite on the farm Hoba, some 20 km west of Grootfontein.
The meteorite on the farm Hoba, some 20 km west of Grootfontein.


"Beware of falling meteorites."
The warning on a sign next to the way to the meteorite on the farm Hoba, some 20 km west of Grootfontein, is a joke of course. It is almost 80,000 years since a meteorite last fell from the sky and hit this spot. But there is a grain of truth in the banter: according to estimates earth is hit by approximately 500 meteorites per year. Most of them are rather small, however, their size ranging from that of a glass marble to that of a basketball, and for the most part they go unnoticed. The Hoba meteorite, on the other hand, is a chunky fragment weighing tons. It is likely to have caused a violent tremor when it crashed into the ground.... Click here to continue reading this story