Meteorite Gibeon – Namibia

The Gibeon meteorite is an important iron meteorite that fell in prehistoric times and its fragments were scattered over a large area of approximately 275 x 100 kilometres in Namibia. This meteorite, named after the nearby town of Gibeon, belongs to chemical group IVA and is classified as a fine octahedrite due to its characteristic crystalline structure, known as Widmanstätten patterns, which are highly prized by collectors and jewellery designers.

The Gibeon meteorite was first discovered by Europeans in 1836 when James Alexander sent samples to London for analysis, which confirmed their meteoritic origin. The meteorite fragments contain an alloy of iron and nickel with admixtures of cobalt, phosphorus, carbon, sulphur, chromium, copper and zinc.

In total, approximately 26 tonnes of meteorite fragments have been found, with some pieces weighing up to several tonnes. An important contribution to their collection between 1911 and 1913 was made by Dr Paul Range, who subsequently distributed the fragments to various museums around the world. The largest collection of Gibeon meteorites can be seen in the centre of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia.

The Gibeon meteor shower is considered one of the most extensive on Earth and fragments are still being discovered today, although it is illegal to collect or damage them as they are protected as national monuments of Namibia.