This meteorite fell to the earth 80,000 years ago and weighed 60 tons. It is the world’s most expensive meteorite worth 600 billion | Hoba meteorite | Meteorite | 80,000 years ago | Earth |

[Voice of Hope July 22, 2022](Editor: Guo Xiao)Meteorites, also known as meteorites, are unburned mixed substances scattered on the surface of the earth or other planets by cosmic celestial bodies or rubble that have departed from their original orbits in the outer space of the earth. Some of them have been wandering in space for hundreds of millions or even billions of years, and they are the only materials that humans can find on Earth to study the universe. When the stars that fall to the earth pass through the earth’s atmosphere, the surface will be melted by high temperature due to the frictional force formed by the high-speed motion, and the final head will be much smaller than when they entered the earth’s atmosphere. The meteorite explodes due to uneven heating during its entry into the atmosphere, and finally it is what we see as a meteor shower. If there is no explosion, it will continue to melt through high temperature and consume less when passing through the atmosphere, and finally fall to the ground.

The Hoba meteorite from 1967 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Due to its special source method, meteorites are relatively rare in the world, so the value of meteorites is relatively high. At present, the most expensive meteorite in the world comes from Namibia, Africa. According to the market value, it is as high as 600 billion yuan. So what is special about this meteorite that makes it so valuable? Meteorites are usually divided into stony meteorites, iron meteorites and stony-iron meteorites according to the content of iron and nickel in their interiors, which contain various minerals such as carbides, sulfides, and oxides. As early as ancient times, the ancestors noticed the existence of meteorites. Many of the unearthed utensils are made of meteorites, indicating that the ancients were already collecting and using meteorites. Shen Kuo recorded the shape, size, temperature, etc. of meteorites in detail in the book “Tian Gong Kai Wu”, which was relatively scientific at that time.

Not only China, but also foreign countries have records of meteorites. In 2000 BC, the Egyptians recorded the scene of the meteorite falling in the papyrus, and the ancient Romans also enshrined the meteorite as the messenger of the gods. In some ancient civilizations, meteorites are often used as funeral objects for emperors. The world’s most expensive meteorite is called the Hoba meteorite. It belongs to the iron meteorite. Although the surface area is only 6.5 square meters, its weight is as high as 60 tons, making it the heaviest meteorite in the world. The shape of the Hoba meteorite is relatively flat, so during the process of falling to the earth, it produced severe friction with the atmosphere, and the falling speed became slower. When it fell to the ground, it was not completely buried, but part of it was exposed on the ground. In the 1920s, a farmer stumbled across it in his fields in the Hoba region of Namibia.

The Hoba Meteorite (Photo: Mike/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY2.0)

Later, according to scientists’ speculation, the Hoba meteorite fell on the earth 80,000 years ago, and its actual age can be traced back to more than 100 million years. Scientists have also studied its composition. According to the test results, the iron and nickel content of the Hoba meteorite are about 84% and 16% respectively, so this meteorite is more like an iron block. Since the discovery of the Hoba meteorite, it has not moved in its original ground. Many tourists also come here to appreciate this “big guy” from outer space at close range. However, many of the edges of this meteorite have been knocked down, which is very unsightly. Now the meteorite has become a national treasure of Namibia, and in order to prevent people’s destruction, the management has built a guardrail around the meteorite.

Experts say that there are infinite mysteries in the universe, but currently we humans have little understanding of the universe. Some astronomers even think that our understanding of the universe is close to zero, and exploring the laws of the universe is that the earth can survive in the universe for a long time. important premise. Meteorite is an important material for us to study the universe. The value of this extraterrestrial object cannot be measured by money. We must increase the research and protection of meteorites.

Responsible editor: Li Jingrou