Gibeon Iron Meteorite.

Origin: Africa, Namibian desert.
A meteorite is a solid piece fallen on the Earth´s surface from space, which has been preserved during the penetration to the atmosphere. The age of the object is about four billion years. It´s origin is eighter from a large broken asteroid or planet (a particle from the center/heart of the planet). For the largest part of the meteors that hits the Earth´s atmosphere glow so that they become non-existing, but pieces that weigh >1 kg usually manages to penetrate the frictional border.

The first Westerner who found this meteorite was the English Army Captain, Explorer Sir James E. Alexander. The local inhabitants the Kalahari Desert, Nama-tribesmen used it to make tools and weapons out of it.

Chemical composition
The chemical elements of the Earth are similar to those which the meteorite posesses. The distribution of the elements are different, they are more similar to those which the inner parts of the Earth contains. The chemical composition is mainly iron and nickel, other components are cobalt, phosphor, copper and chromium.

A more precise description of the Meteorite
The origin of the stones are from the meteorite-belt between Mars and Jupiter, from where they have travelled into the attractive gravity force ot the Earth, and from where they have fallen on the Earth´s  surface. This found is not only one meteorite, but from several pieces of a shattered groupe of Meteorites that has hit the Earth at the same time, on a area that is about: 350 x 100 km:s. The Gibeon was mostly found lying on the desert. The name given to a Meteorite usually is directly related to the geological place where the meteorite has dropped/fallen. The area has already been picked, and today finding the pieces has been getting more difficult, but due to metal detectors, there are still material being found on the site, but only quite small ones, which earlier were more difficult to detect. This meteorite has been well preserved due to the very "light" weathering conditions.

Picture on the right side: enlargement of the molten surface.

In the left side picture: the Widemnnstätten figures, different parts of Iron separated from eachother can be seen by the unaided eye.

The Widmannstätten figures.
With scientistical methods the age of the meteorite is stated to be four billion years. It has been formed about at the same time as our solar system. This research has been supported by the theory of the creation of the Widemannstätten figures. The figures are present in the most of the Gibeon-meteorites, which are classed as ochtaedrites.

When the Gibeon octaedrite is sawn, cut, polished and etched, there will be the lamellae-system, the trigon shaped figures visible on the surface. These figures has still not been synthetically crated in laboratory environments by Man, and that is why they prove the authentity of the material. The Widemannstätten figures are formed in almost zero-gravity conditions and extremely cold temperatures, where the cooling has been one degree in every one thousand years. The creation of the figures has lasted alltogether 800 million years. Due to the figures, unique gemstones can be cut outof the stone.

Picture on the right side: a photo from Windhoek where there is a large Meteorite collection. All the newly found pieces are very important to Namibia, and there is export regulations, which protect the natural cultural treasure.

Pictures in this article may be reproduced for educational purposes, and credit shall be given to: Mr.Casimir von Schantz (F.G.A.)