Meteorite Hoba – Namibia

The Hoba meteorite is the largest known iron meteorite in the world and the largest naturally occurring piece of iron on Earth. It was discovered accidentally while ploughing a field in 1920 on the Hoba West farm near Grootfontein in Namibia, where it still lies at the original impact site. The exact date of the Hoba meteorite's impact is unknown, but it is estimated to have hit the Earth about 80,000 years ago. Its mass is estimated to be approximately 60 tonnes, making it unique among meteorites.

Hoba is classified as an iron meteorite of the ataxite type, specifically Group IVB. It contains approximately 84.4% iron and 16.4% nickel, giving it exceptional corrosion resistance. This meteorite has a flat shape, which has led some scientists to believe that it did not rotate as it entered the atmosphere and fell as a flat disc, which may have moderated its velocity and prevented the formation of a crater.

Due to its size and accessibility, the Hoba meteorite is a popular tourist attraction and was declared a National Monument of Namibia in 1955.