These Are the 6 Biggest Meteorites to Ever to Be Found on Earth

What are the biggest meteorites found off earth?

this might be one of them http://mars.nasa.gov/mer/newsroom/pressreleases/20050119a.html

As a teenager I saw a photograph of a huge meteorite, partially excavated, in the ground where it was discovered. From vague memory, it was three to four metres long and at least two metres high. Judging by the shape it may have been either the Cape York or the Namibian one.

I don’t think I still have the picture. Possibly in a Life Nature Library book called “The Universe”?

I saw one go past back in 1987 but it was too quick for photos.

mollwollfumble said:

As a teenager I saw a photograph of a huge meteorite, partially excavated, in the ground where it was discovered. From vague memory, it was three to four metres long and at least two metres high. Judging by the shape it may have been either the Cape York or the Namibian one.

I don’t think I still have the picture. Possibly in a Life Nature Library book called “The Universe”?

I think this was the photograph. Hoba meteorite.

Could there be other huge meteorites out there that nobody knows about?

One thing that struck me as strange as a teenager, and I’ve never seen an explanation, is how a huge meteorite like the Hoba meteorite came to be sitting level with the surface, with no sign of a crater anywhere nearby?

Shouldn’t it have created a very sizeable crater when it hit? Or at least be deeply buried?

One other thing that puzzles me was on a TV program about how to find meteorites in the Australian desert. Aparrently the non-metallic stony meteorites, the most common ones, are also magnetic. Does that make sense?

mollwollfumble said:

Could there be other huge meteorites out there that nobody knows about?

One thing that struck me as strange as a teenager, and I’ve never seen an explanation, is how a huge meteorite like the Hoba meteorite came to be sitting level with the surface, with no sign of a crater anywhere nearby?

Shouldn’t it have created a very sizeable crater when it hit? Or at least be deeply buried?

One other thing that puzzles me was on a TV program about how to find meteorites in the Australian desert. Aparrently the non-metallic stony meteorites, the most common ones, are also magnetic. Does that make sense?

I was thinking about that from the photo as well. Couple of things, how did they know it was a meteorite when it looked like an outcrop of rock. As for the crater bit, I expect it might have been a shallow angle and might have initially hit a couple of kilometres away then sort of bounced to a stop?

mollwollfumble said:

Could there be other huge meteorites out there that nobody knows about?

One thing that struck me as strange as a teenager, and I’ve never seen an explanation, is how a huge meteorite like the Hoba meteorite came to be sitting level with the surface, with no sign of a crater anywhere nearby?

Shouldn’t it have created a very sizeable crater when it hit? Or at least be deeply buried?

One other thing that puzzles me was on a TV program about how to find meteorites in the Australian desert. Aparrently the non-metallic stony meteorites, the most common ones, are also magnetic. Does that make sense?

This meteor had some strange braking system. Who knows what it was. Presumably it landed in sandy country and may well be an eroded result. Maybe it had to land through a cyclone?

It is a safe bet there are large meteorites yet to be discovered in the earth’s subsurface

dv said:

It is a safe bet there are large meteorites yet to be discovered in the earth’s subsurface

Surely there would be indications closer to the surface, if we were looking for them?

roughbarked said:

dv said:

It is a safe bet there are large meteorites yet to be discovered in the earth’s subsurface

Surely there would be indications closer to the surface, if we were looking for them?

I’m sure I’ve met someone who was doing aircraft mounted magnetometer readings of the Earth’s surface. That ought to show up something subsurface.

Geologists are continually finding bigger and bigger subsurface impact craters, but I haven’t heard of any of them yielding sizeable meteorites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_impact_craters_on_Earth

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

It is a safe bet there are large meteorites yet to be discovered in the earth’s subsurface

Surely there would be indications closer to the surface, if we were looking for them?

I’m sure I’ve met someone who was doing aircraft mounted magnetometer readings of the Earth’s surface. That ought to show up something subsurface.

Geologists are continually finding bigger and bigger subsurface impact craters, but I haven’t heard of any of them yielding sizeable meteorites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_impact_craters_on_Earth

I think his words were, yet to be discovered.

roughbarked said:

mollwollfumble said:

roughbarked said:

Surely there would be indications closer to the surface, if we were looking for them?

I’m sure I’ve met someone who was doing aircraft mounted magnetometer readings of the Earth’s surface. That ought to show up something subsurface.

Geologists are continually finding bigger and bigger subsurface impact craters, but I haven’t heard of any of them yielding sizeable meteorites. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_impact_craters_on_Earth

I think his words were, yet to be discovered.

That makes them mallee fowl mounds.