Monday, May 25, 2020

100 YEARS OF HOBA WEST METEORITE Taken by Petr Horálek on September 17, 2015 @ Hoba West, Namibia



This year it is exactly century ago when largest meteorite on ground was found. In 1920, farmer Jacobus Hermanus Brits discovered the cosmic stone while ploughing one of his fields nearby Grootfontein, Namibia, with an ox and heard loud metallic scratching. Shortly after the discovery and scientific analysis the Hoba West meteorite was classified as iron type (composed of about 84% iron and 16% nickel and other elements) which falled on Earth about 80 thousands years ago. Its unusual flat shape (with dimensions almost 3x3x1 meters and weight around 60 tonnes) caused almost no crater while falling on Earth. In 1955 it was declared as Namibian national monument, last years it is accessible as a tourist attraction nearby Hoba West campsite, and protected from vandalism. In the image, taken in September 2015, it is me standing and gazing the southern Milky Way on the cosmic stone, humbly thinking of how lucky, fragile and small in same time we are the huge Universe. Used Canon 6D Baader IR modified, Samyang 24 mm, f2.8, ISO 10000, cut of 31×15 s panorama (captured from tripod).

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