Meteorite Kapoeta – South Sudan

The Kapoeta meteorite is an important achondritic meteorite that made history with its dramatic fall to Earth on April 22, 1942 near the picturesque village of Kapoeta in South Sudan. This breathtaking cosmic phenomenon was not only recorded by witnesses, but also closely monitored. The locals watched in amazement as the bright fireball glowing in the sky rapidly approached the earth, penetrated the atmosphere and hit the surface. Approximately 11.3 kilograms of fragments were found and collected after the impact.

Classification

Kapoeta is classified as a howardite, a type of achondrite composed mostly of fragments of other achondritic meteorites, especially eucrites and diogenites. These rocks formed on the surface of asteroids as a mixture of rock fragments and dust that were joined together by impact processes.

Origin

The Kapoeta meteorite is thought to have originated on the surface of the asteroid Vesta in the main asteroid belt. Asteroids in this belt, including Vesta, experienced intense collisions and melting due to impacts from other cosmic bodies, leading to the formation of different types of rocks and their subsequent fragmentation and brecciation.

When another strong impact occurred, fragments of these rocks were ejected into space. Some of these fragments then entered a collision course with the Earth. The Kapoeta meteorite is one of these fragments that moved through space for millions of years before finally hitting our planet.

Composition

The composition of the Kapoeta meteorite includes a variety of minerals, including pyroxenes, plagioclase, olivine and metal alloys. It also contains iron and titanium oxides, among which ilmenite stands out. Various sulphides are also found, with troilite being one of the main representatives of this group. Chromite inclusions are also part of the composition and give the meteorite its characteristic features.