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If you're into meteorites, one of the neat
things on display in Windhoek, the capital of
Namibia, is a display of pieces of the Gibeon
meteorite. Some 25 tons of it have been
recovered since its discovery in 1838
and it is one of the most commonly available
meteorites available on the market despite
having been banned from sale or possession in
Namibia a few years ago.
The pieces on display are welded onto stainless
steel pedestals, and yet someone managed to
free one and carry it off!
The bottom shot shows the inside of a Gibeon
fragment when it has been polished and etched.
The characteristic crystal pattern
(Widmanstatten pattern) occurs in
octahedrite nickel-iron
meteorites and not in terrestrial ores.
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