Muscat – Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT), in collaboration with Natural History Museum of Bern, Switzerland and Curtin University of Australia, has announced the documentation of a meteorite observed falling through meteor monitoring devices in the sultanate.

Weighing 26.8gm, the meteorite has been named ‘Rajae Meteorite’ after the region of its fall in Al Wusta. 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 following the Khadhf Meteorite announced in October 2023.

MHT confirmed that the entry of the Rajae Meteorite into Oman’s atmosphere was documented on December 23, 2023 and found 49 days later on February 10, 2024 by an Omani-Swiss meteorite research team. 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 the 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 and humid atmosphere.

Additionally, scientific studies found that the meteorite contains a mineral previously unknown.

This scientific achievement aligns with MHT’s plans and programmes to document meteorites in the sultanate, highlight their scientific significance and use these sustainably. The ministry also aims to diversify and enhance tourism destinations across various governorates by organising specialised exhibitions and showcasing scientific research.