User talk:Elizabeth Dandu 211014591

The Brukkaros Mountain and the Gibeon Meteorite Fountain
The Brukkaros Mountain is situated in the karas region, southern part of Namibia. has a height of 1,590 meters at its peak. Millions of years ago a meteiorite shower occurred over the Brukkaros Mountain, southeast of Gibeon in southern Namibia. It covered an area of 20,000km² of square kilometers, with a concentrated cover of 2,500km² in the surrounding village of Gibeon (60km south of Mariental). And is known to be the largest shower of its kind in the world.

Meteors are tiny particles of small matter drifting around in great speed, in space. While meteorites are large meteors that strike the earth before it burns out.

The History of Gibeon Meteorite Fountain
They were first repoted in 1838 by Captain who later became General Sir JE Alexander, who was traveling on the east side of the "Great Fish River", and sent it to London. In 1911-1913, 37 specimens of the 77 Gibeon Meteorites, that ranged from 195-506kg in weight, were brought to Windhoek by a German State Geologist, Dr P Range. Even though the export of meteorites were prohibited,with a fine of 600 German Marks, 4 of the 37 meteorites that were found near Gibeon, was donated worldwide to research institutions.

After WW1, they were displayed in the Zoo Park in the city centre. And then in 1975 they were romoved from the Zoo Park and stored them in the Alte Feste Museum's courtyard.This is where 2 of the meteorites were stolen; the 3rd one was stolen after they were installed on the Mountain Fountain display in Post Street Mall.

All meteorites that are found in the country are automatically protected as national monuments and are not to be removed from their original sites, damaged or destroyed. Any meteorites that have been legally removed and aren't on display in Post Street Mall, can be viewed at the Geological Survey Museum in Aviation Road near Eros Airport, Windhoek.

The Gibeon Meteorites, Post Street Mall, Windhoek, were proclaimed a national monument on 15th February 1950.