#Earth Rocks and Space Rocks

May 18, 2018

#Meteorites which survive intact after entering Earth’s atmosphere are rare as most burn up well before any chance of impact. Several meteorites in Namibia, however, managed to survive the friction of our atmosphere and were later collected by the native people of the region, and then by explorers who shipped the pieces around the world. These meteorite pieces are known as the #Gibeon Meteorites.

The Gibeon meteorites were originally parts of a passing #asteroid, radiometrically dated around four billion years old, which broke off and entered our atmosphere. The pieces were massive and fell over a large area. Landing in Namibia, the local people used them to make weapons. When Europeans entered the scene in the nineteenth century, hobby collecting of the meteors began. Today, pieces that aren’t still embedded in the ground can be found in museums and individual hobbyists mineral collections. One such piece is for sale here at our mineral store, Classic Mineral.

Our Gibeon Meteorite specimen is a large cabinet-sized slice approximately 5.2 inches long by 3.4 inches high with a weight of 314 grams. The large, silver slice has repeating patterns of triangular etchings across the surface called Widmanstatten lines. The Widmanstatten lines occur naturally as the parent asteroid cools over billions of years. The etchings are visible on both sides of the specimen. Areas of rust are visible on our piece due to the high iron content of the meteorite. The edges are of a darker color with a sub-metallic luster.

This unique and fascinating piece of Earth history is available for purchase at our brick and mortar store located at 299 Walcott Street in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It is one of many unique specimens available here, and we invite you to visit us if you are ever in the Southern New England area. We’re open three days a week, Thursdays from 9 to 7, Fridays from 9 to 5, and Saturdays from 9 to 3. If you can’t visit us, that’s o.k., too. You can shop our online collection of fine #minerals at classicmineral.com.