The Gibeon Meteorite

Natural space art from the asteroid belt

  • Great Nama Land, Namibia
  • Found 1836
  • Iron (IVA) Fine octahedrite

Large masses were reported to exist near the East bank of the Great Fish River to English Army Captain J.E. Alexander in 1838.  The meteorite was known by the local natives for many years before this, who had worked the smaller specimens into arrowheads and assagai-heads.  Many other large masses have been found since this first report.   More then 54 tons of this meteorite is in museums or university collections.   The main mass weighs 650 kilograms and is located at the South African Museum in Cape Town.

Etched slices show lines in the metoerite called "widmanstatten" lines. These are the result of the acid reacting different to the high nickel taenite and low nickel kamacite crystals. Gibeon's main composition is iron (90%), nickel (8%) and cobalt (0.4%). Other minerals include kamacite, taenite, troilite, chromite, deabreelite, enstatite and tridymite.  Radiometric dating places the age of crystallization of the metal of the Gibeon meteorite at around 4 billion years.

Click images to enlarge:

gibeon1450a.JPG (192707 bytes)  gibeon1450b.JPG (185731 bytes)

1.45 KG measuring 4 inches by 3 inches by 2 1/2 inches.

 

 

gibeon4600a.JPG (112489 bytes)  gibeon4600b.JPG (126676 bytes)  gibeon4600c.JPG (92378 bytes)  gibeon4600d.JPG (128568 bytes)

4.6 KG measuring 7 inches by 5 inches by 5 inches.  Stands up naturally as shown.

 

 

gibeon5200gg.JPG (176602 bytes)  gibeon5200hh.JPG (173385 bytes)  gibeon5200ii.JPG (146144 bytes)  gibeon5200jj.JPG (112141 bytes)  gibeon5200kk.JPG (128664 bytes)

5.2 KG measuring 6 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches.  Stands up naturally as shown.

 

 

gibeon7200a.JPG (141324 bytes)  gibeon7200b.JPG (158960 bytes)  gibeon7200c.JPG (117385 bytes)  gibeon7200d.JPG (116817 bytes)

7.2 KG measuring 8 inches by 6 1/2 inches by 4 inches.  Stands up naturally as shown.

 

 

gibeon8800a.JPG (185521 bytes)  gibeon8800b.JPG (146328 bytes)  gibeon8800c.JPG (106236 bytes)  gibeon8800d.JPG (140293 bytes)

8.7 KG measuring 8 inches by 7 inches by 4 inches.  Stands up naturally as shown.

 

 

gibeon9500a.JPG (129841 bytes)  gibeon9500b.JPG (163143 bytes)  gibeon9500c.JPG (118089 bytes)  gibeon9500d.JPG (121344 bytes)

9.5 KG measuring 8 inches by 6 inches by 4 inches.  Stands up naturally as shown.

 

 

gibeon11000f.JPG (153179 bytes)  gibeon11000b.JPG (161922 bytes)  gibeon11000c.JPG (94826 bytes)  gibeon11000e.JPG (130881 bytes)

11 KG measuring 8 inches by 9 inches by 5 inches.  Stands as shown in the first three photos.

 

 

gibeon15000a.JPG (112455 bytes)  gibeon15000c.JPG (96802 bytes)  gibeon15000d.JPG (94197 bytes)

15 KG measuring 12 inches by 8 inches by 4 inches.

 

 

gibeon31000a.JPG (123784 bytes)  gibeon31000b.JPG (128033 bytes)  gibeon31000c.JPG (129350 bytes)  gibeon31000d.JPG (116823 bytes)

31 KG measuring 14 inches by 7 inches by 7 inches.

 

 

gibeon113kga.JPG (227306 bytes)   gibeon113kgb.JPG (208814 bytes)   gibeon113kgc.JPG (200746 bytes)   gibeon113kgd.JPG (282998 bytes)

113 KG measuring 17 inches by 14 inches by 10 inches.

 

 

gibeon4100slice.JPG (164675 bytes)

4.1 kg Complete Slice measuring 16 3/4 inches by 8 1/2 inches.   Glare is caused by lighting, not an uneven etch.

 

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