Scientists confirm meteorite strike in Eastern Cape
A meteorite hit the Eastern Cape in late August, making it a rare and notable discovery for South Africa.
Fragments of the meteorite scattered over a 100-kilometer area, with sightings reported from both Cape St Francis and Nqweba (formerly known as Kirkwood).
Last week the 90 gram fragment from Nqweba was showcased at a press conference by scientists from Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, and Wits University.
“For your everyday citizen it’s a cool thing to witness,” says Dr. Carla Dodd, Nelson Mandela University Post Doctoral Researcher.
“As much as it means a lot for the science world, it’s also a big deal for our social experience.”
That said, South Africa has witnessed a large number of meteorite falls over the years. This latest find has the potential to become the country’s 52nd meteorite officially recognised by the Meteoritical Society.
A fragment from the asteroid belt
Scientists speculate that this particular meteorite, known as an achondrite breccia, originated from a large asteroid in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.
It belongs to an achondrite sub-group called HED (howardite–eucrite–diogenite), thought to originate from the asteroid 4 Vesta, the second-biggest object in the asteroid belt.
Meteorites are critical to understanding the origins of the solar system, Earth, and other planetary bodies. They carry vital information about the early solar system and the processes that shaped it billions of years ago.
The meteorite that struck the Eastern Cape is believed to have been a metre in size, before breaking up.
“It’s very possible that we can have a bigger meteorite hit the earth, and the impact can be catastrophic,” said Prof Roger Gibson from Wits School of Geoscience.
“If you think of the force that the literal ball of fire falls with. One can only imagine the impact if it had to be kilometres in length.”
More meteorites to be discovered
There are roughly 75 000 meteorites in the Meteoritical Society’s database. The majority of these come from Antarctica and the Sahara.
South Africa’s vast landscape is thought to harbour many unidentified meteorites, that often go unnoticed due to their subtle appearance.
This latest discovery is a significant step forward in the country’s growing contribution to planetary science.