Massive "Meteorite" Unearthed In Argentina

A massive rock believed to be the second largest meteorite found on Earth has been unearthed in Argentina. The rock, believed to weigh 30 tons, is named "Gancedo" after the town in Chaco province where it was discovered. The provincial government has posted photos of the excavation, saying the process took almost two days to complete.

The excavation team who lifted the rock at Campo del Cielo on September 10 was surprised at its size. "While we hoped for weights above what had been registered, we did not expect it to exceed 30 tonnes," Mario Vesconi, the president of Astronomy Association of Chaco president said in local newspaper Clarin.

Some reports have claimed "Gancedo" is the second largest intact meteorite found on Earth. However, a further study is needed to determine first if the rock is indeed a meteorite, and then its exact mass.

Local media reported Campo del Cielo is a well-known area in Gancedo, some 1,000 km northwest of Buenos Aires, where metallic meteorites rained down more than 4,000 years ago. Scientific American said the camp was a impact site of a 600-ton asteroid, which burned up after entering Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 14,000 kilometers per hour. Estimates suggested half the mass of the asteroid impacted the area, and just about one third of its remnants has been recovered.

Campo del Cielo was the same site where another huge meteorite, the 37-ton "El Chaco," was discovered in 1969. Namibia is home to the world's largest meteor, "Hoba," weighing over 60 tons. The massive space rock, believed to have crashed more than 800,000 years ago, was discovered in 1920 by a farmer ploughing his field. A portion of Hoba has been recovered for study, though much of the massive space rock remains intact in the same area as it is too heavy to retrieve.