The head of the Qatar Center for Space and Astronomy, Sheikh Salman bin Jabr Al Thani, announced the discovery of the second piece of the Al-Khor meteorite after four months of searching.
Sheikh Salman bin Jabr said on his account on the
He pointed out that the search was carried out using drones and walking distances in the desert, noting that the length of the path that was identified was more than 10 km.
Space glass meteorite
Sheikh Salman bin Jabr Al Thani announced in September last year that he had found a space meteorite in addition to the meteorites discovered in Qatar previously, and it was the first to be found in the city of Al Khor.
Sheikh Salman bin Jabr published in a post on his account on the “X” platform a complete picture of the meteorite, and wrote explaining: “Praise be to God, today the first meteorite was found in the city of Al Khor, and it is a type of tektite, also called space glass.”
He explained that the meteorite was found among the rocks near the beach while it was submerged in water, and he took the initiative to send his information to specialists who confirmed that it was a type of space glass known as “tektite.”
The Al Khor meteorite has unique characteristics, as it is classified as what is known as “space glass,” which is a type that cannot be distinguished by traditional methods such as using a magnet or measuring weight, but rather requires careful visual inspection to discover it.
Sheikh Suleiman pointed out at the time that the time of the meteorite’s fall was not determined, but he said: “When looking at the piece carefully, you can notice melting on its edges, which is clear evidence of its entry into the atmosphere and its transformation into a molten mass.”
He confirmed that the center had previously discovered more than 30 metallic meteorites in Qatar during astronomy camps, expressing his optimism that the meteorite discovered in Al Khor may have other fragments that will be searched for in the field.
He considered that finding meteorites of this size and importance represents a valuable addition to astronomical research and studies in Qatar and the region.
Al Khor meteorite
The Al Khor meteorite is a famous iron meteorite that fell near the city of Al Khor in Qatar in 1963, and is considered one of the most prominent meteorites documented in the Arabian Gulf region.
The Al Khor meteorite is distinguished by its being an iron meteorite, and large masses of it were found after its fall, which allowed it to be studied scientifically and classified as one of the meteorites coming from the remains of ancient asteroid cores.
Some parts of it are preserved today in international museums and research centers, and it is often cited in scientific literature as rare evidence of meteorite activity in the Arabian Peninsula.
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