Meteorite falls in South Africa
South Africa has 18 observed falls in NASA’s Meteorite Landings dataset (records to 2013), the 15th-highest count of 107 countries. The heaviest is Jackalsfontein (48 kg, 1903). The earliest is Cold Bokkeveld in 1838. The most recent is Lichtenberg in 1973.
- Median recovered mass
- 2.8 kg
- Different class labels
- 11
- Falls with their own page
- 4
Dot size grows with recovered mass; the three heaviest are named.
Year by year
Of the 18, five are dated before 1900 and three are from 1950 or later. The busiest decade there is the 1900s, with three falls. The median distance from a fall in South Africa to its nearest recorded neighbour, in any country, is 103 km. The closest fall recorded across the border is Thuathe in Lesotho, 80 km from Malvern.
What fell in South Africa
The most common class is H6 (three falls), followed by H5 (3). Together the falls recorded in South Africa recovered 114 kg.
- L chondrites 4
- H chondrites 7
- Carbonaceous chondrites 1
- Enstatite chondrites 2
- Eucrites, howardites and diogenites 3
- Iron meteorites 1
Every fall in South Africa
| Year | Fall | Class | Recovered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1838 | Cold Bokkeveld | CM2 | 5.2 kg |
| 1868 | Daniel's Kuil | EL6 | 1.1 kg |
| 1877 | Cronstad | H5 | 3.6 kg |
| 1880 | Wittekrantz | L5 | 2.2 kg |
| 1881 | Piquetberg | H | 37 g |
| 1903 | Jackalsfontein | L6 | 48 kg |
| 1903 | St. Mark's | EH5 | 14 kg |
| 1906 | Diep River | L6 | 1 kg |
| 1912 | Leeuwfontein | L6 | 460 g |
| 1912 | N'Kandhla | Iron, IID | 17 kg |
| 1918 | Witklip Farm | H5 | 22 g |
| 1925 | Queen's Mercy | H6 | 7 kg |
| 1933 | Malvern | Eucrite-pmict | 807 g |
| 1936 | Macibini | Eucrite-pmict | 2 kg |
| 1943 | Benoni | H6 | 3.9 kg |
| 1953 | Molteno | Howardite | 150 g |
| 1956 | Idutywa | H5 | 3.5 kg |
| 1973 | Lichtenberg | H6 | 4 kg |