Massive meteorite extracted from hole in Argentina
One of the largest meteorites ever found got lifted from a watery resting place over the weekend.
Some meteorites are so big they need a name. Meet the Gancedo meteorite, a gigantic space rock extracted from the ground over the weekend using heavy machinery. It was found near the village of Gancedo in Argentina in an area known as Campo del Cielo ("Field of Heaven").
Campo del Cielo is rife with iron meteorites estimated to have fallen around 4,000 years ago. What makes Gancedo unusual is its massive size, with a weight estimated at around 68,000 pounds (31,000 kilograms).
News organization Compacto Nea posted a video of the meteorite extraction on YouTube Monday. It was a complicated affair requiring excavation equipment, chains, cables and plenty of heavy lifting to remove it from its impact crater. Parts of the iron meteorite have a rusty orange hue.
The largest meteorite ever uncovered sits in southern Africa. The Hoba meteorite is estimated to weigh more than 132,000 pounds (60,000 kilograms). It's so big, it hasn't been moved and is now a tourist site. Argentinian news source Norte says the Gancedo meteorite is the second largest ever discovered.
(Via Reddit)