MUSCAT: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MoHT) announced a new scientific achievement in the documentation of a meteorite observed falling through meteor monitoring devices in the Sultanate of Oman.
This achievement was made in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in Bern, Switzerland and Curtin University in Australia.
The meteorite has been named ‘Rajae Meteorite,’ after the region of its fall in Al Wusta Governorate, with a weight of 26.8 grammes. All scientific requirements have been completed to register it as a new scientific achievement in meteor studies and sciences within the database of the Meteoritical Society. The Rajae Meteorite is the second documented meteorite fall in the Sultanate of Oman, following the Khadhf Meteorite, announced in October 2023.
The MoHT confirmed that the entry of the Rajae Meteorite into Oman’s atmosphere was documented on December 23, 2023 and it was discovered 49 days later, on February 10 by the Omani-Swiss scientific team for the meteorite research project.
The meteorite underwent precise chemical and laboratory analyses to verify the match between the observed event and the recovered meteorite. These included analyses for short-lived radioactive isotopes, such as manganese-54 and sodium-22, which are formed in space.
Scientific studies revealed that this sample belongs to a rare type classified as 'Enstatite Chondrite' and specifically categorised as 'EH3.' These meteorites originate from rock fragments in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter in the solar system. Enstatite Chondrite meteorites contain minerals that are unstable in Earth’s oxygen-rich atmosphere and moisture.
Additionally, scientific studies found that this meteorite contains a mineral previously unknown.
This achievement aligns with the MoHT's plans and programmes to document meteorites in the Sultanate of Oman, highlight their scientific significance, and utilise them sustainably. It also aims to diversify and enhance tourism destinations across various governorates by organising specialised exhibitions, displaying them in museums across the Sultanate of Oman, and showcasing the scientific research conducted in this field through workshops and temporary exhibitions. — ONA
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