"Danger from outer space - meteorite impacts and their glassy impact rocks" (Speaker: Dr. Wolfgang Zessin - Jasnitz)
"Danger from outer space - meteorite impacts and their glassy impact rocks" (Speaker: Dr. Wolfgang Zessin - Jasnitz)
Under this title, a lecture by the physicist and deputy chairman of the Naturforschende Gesellschaft Mecklenburg e.V., Dr. Wolfgang Zessin from Jasnitz, will take place on October 24, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the Natureum at Ludwigslust Castle as part of the 3rd North German Hornstein Meeting.
The speaker has been involved in astronomy since his youth, worked as a student on a voluntary basis at the Rostock Observatory on variable stars and still collects meteorites, impact rocks and tektites, which he has collected on many trips to meteorite craters and discovery areas as well as mineral exchanges. He also visited the famous Barringer meteorite crater in Arizona, USA, the largest iron meteorite with approx. 60 tons, the largest iron meteorite, the Hoba meteorite near Grootfontein in Namibia, the former colony of German Southwest Africa, many meteorite craters in Norway, Sweden and Finland, the desert Gobi (Mongolia), thesten Gobi (Mongolia), Sahara and Namib (Africa) and Atacama (South America) and of course the tektite strewn field of Moldavite in Bohemia around Budweis. His collection includes several hundred meteorites, impact rocks and tektites from all over the world, some of which he presents in the original and in pictures. Due to the hornstone meeting, the focus of the lecture will be on glassy impact rocks, including the Czech Moldavites.
All interested parties are cordially invited to the Natureum Ludwigslust on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 7:00 pm. The contribution towards expenses is €3 for NGM members and €4 for guests.
Text and photos: Dr. Wolfgang Zessin, Jasnitz
Photo 1: The largest moldavite found by the speaker, weighing 74 g
Photo 2: The Hoba meteorite near Grootfontein, Namibia