Metal from Space

[Ron Caliburn]

A large metallic ball fell out of the sky on a remote grassland in Namibia, prompting baffled authorities to contact NASA and the European space agency.

The hollow ball with a circumference of 1.1 metres (43 inches) was found near a village in the north of the country some 750 kilometres (480 miles) from the capital Windhoek, according to police forensics director Paul Ludik.

Locals had heard several small explosions a few days beforehand, he said.

With a diameter of 35 centimetres (14 inches), the ball has a rough surface and appears to consist of "two halves welded together".

It was made of a "metal alloy known to man" and weighed six kilogrammes (13 pounds), said Ludik.

It was found 18 metres from its landing spot, a hole 33 centimetres deep and 3.8 meters wide.

Several such balls have dropped in southern Africa, Australia and Latin America in the past twenty years, authorities found in an Internet search.

The sphere was discovered mid-November, but authorities first did tests before announcing the find.

Police deputy inspector general Vilho Hifindaka concluded the sphere did not pose any danger.

"It is not an explosive device, but rather hollow, but we had to investigate all this first," he said.

[Tms3]

An old satellite of some sort?

[Hannah]

If it was a satellite, why would it be hollow? Those things usually carry instruments or Russian dogs or something like that.

Hannah

[Tms3]

thats true but the shell is more durable then the guts.. if that makes any since

[Hannah]

But wouldn't there have at least been the remains of something in the sphere then, instead of it being 'hollow'?

Hannah

[Tms3]

you would think there would be ash or some kind of residue though if the shell was damaged with any holes in the that might explain the absence. I would also point out that hallow is not the same as empty

it could also be that the shell was hot enough that the inside bits might have milted or burned then fussed with the shell

[Rowan]

Here’s a picture of the thing.

They also say it had “two halves welded together” and “alloys known to man.” Questions that came to mind: was it welded together before it fell? Was it always hollow? Just what is the alloy it’s made of?