Gibeon Meteorite — From the iron core of an asteroid

Gibeon Meteorite, from The Iron Core of an Asteroid

Gibeon, Great Nama Land, Namibia

IVA – Iron, fine octahedrite 5.75 x 7 x 1.5 in. (149 x 177 x 37 mm). Weight: 4.33 lbs. (1991 grams)

Gibeon meteorites formed 4.5 billion years ago in the molten core of an asteroid between Mars and Jupiter. An impact event shattered this asteroid into small portions and sent it on a new orbital path that eventually resulted in a collision with the Earth.

This extraterrestrial iron-nickel alloy is comprised of 92% iron, 7% nickel, and numerous trace elements. As a result of the extremely long cooling time in the vacuum of space, molecules of the molten material had sufficient time to migrate into their crystalline habit, a fine octahedral pattern, hence its classification as a IVA fine octahedrite.

The shape of this flange is the result of its composition, the chemistry of the soil in which it was deposited, the intrusions of ground water to which it was exposed, its duration in the ground before its recovery, as well as the extreme temperatures experienced (3,000°F/1,650°C) as it penetrated Earth’s atmosphere more than ten thousand years ago. This meteorite shower occurred between the Namib and Kalahari Deserts in Namibia, and the name “Gibeon” comes from a nearby village.

Sheathed in a russet patina and accompanied by a custom armature, this is a phenomenal representation of an iron meteorite shaped by both terrestrial and extraterrestrial forces.