Muscat – Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) has announced the discovery of an exceptionally rare lunar meteorite weighing 59.5gm.

In a statement, MHT said scientific studies underscore the rarity of the meteorite found  on February 5, 2020. 

The discovery is anticipated to significantly enhance scientific knowledge and understanding of the characteristics and composition of the Moon’s outermost layer and contribute to the field of meteorites and asteroids science.

According to chemical analysis of the sample, the primary minerals of the meteorite include plagioclase (70%), pyroxene (20%) and olivine (5%), with trace amounts of other minerals such as iron, troilite and manganite.

One of the meteorite’s standout features is the clarity of its outer crust, which bears the marks of combustion resulting from its entry into Earth’s atmosphere. This process contributed to the formation of minerals like maskelynite and troilite.

Analysis also affirmed that the outer layer of the sample contains atoms of lunar dust.

‘The finding of this lunar rock underscores the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism’s ongoing commitment to documenting meteorites in Oman. Since 2001, in partnership with Natural History Museum in Bern, Switzerland, the ministry has meticulously catalogued over 7,341 meteorite pieces weighing a total of more than 7,000kg. These meteorites originate from diverse celestial bodies – the Moon, Mars and fragments of asteroid belts.’

Following completion of analysis, MHT ensures safety of these meteorite samples. The team has established a dedicated meteorite repository that adheres to international best practices for long-term preservation, sustainability and comprehensive scientific documentation of these invaluable specimens.

As part of the ministry’s initiative to document meteorites entering Oman’s atmosphere in real time, it collaborated with the International Meteor Observing Network in early 2022 and several specialised scientific institutions to launch a scientific project. 

This project is designed to swiftly locate any meteorite entering Omani airspace, pinpointing its exact geographical coordinates. This enables field scientific research teams to immediate access and retrieve samples before they are affected by environmental factors, facilitating specialised scientific research on these newly fallen specimens.

These efforts culminated in the ministry’s announcement of the documentation of the ‘Khadf’ meteorite as the first meteorite monitored and located using modern technologies, weighing 22gm.

In addition to these scientific endeavours, the ministry conducted a specialised workshop earlier this year titled ‘Meteorites in the Sultanate of Oman and Combating Illicit Trade’. It aimed to educate participants on meteorites, their scientific significance and the legal regulations governing them.