South African scientists have unveiled a meteorite fragment, roughly the size of a motorcycle, discovered last month in a town in the Eastern Cape province. The fragment, which is black and shiny on the outside with a light grey, concrete-like interior, weighs less than 90 grams (3.2 ounces) and has a diameter of less than 5 cm (2 inches). It has been provisionally named the Nqweba Meteorite, after the nearby town where it was found.
On August 25, residents across the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and Free State witnessed a bright streak of light in the sky, accompanied by an explosive sound and vibrations. The meteorite fragment was discovered after these events, with Professor Roger Gibson from the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Geosciences explaining that the meteorite broke apart in flight due to atmospheric friction.
The fragment was found by 9-year-old Eli-ze du Toit, who was sitting on her grandparents’ porch in Nqweba when she saw the dark rock fall from the sky. She picked up the still-warm rock and later handed it over to scientists for examination.
