Moroccan astronaut calls for the collection of Moroccan meteorites

MOHAMED NAJIB SAAAD

4 Jun, 2017

Moroccan astronaut calls for the collection of Moroccan meteorites

The need to establish a national or regional museum to collect pieces of Moroccan meteorites lost between different bodies and sold away from the eyes of the competent authorities, especially in the absence of laws at the national level to regulate the trade of meteorites, said Abderrahmane Ebhi, a Moroccan researcher in space science at Ibn Zahr University in Agadir.

The Moroccan researcher said in an interview with the Moroccan Sahara newspaper published Thursday that the museum and its laboratory will play an important role in raising awareness and helping people working in this field (from travelers, brokers and hobbyists) and preventing the bleeding that affects this national wealth. Most of the meteorites are sent to France or America to identify their nature, which often leads to the loss of the most important, due to ignorance of their true value.

He added that meteorites are a national heritage, and that their natural place is a national museum to protect and study them and to give them an opportunity to be recognized by researchers and interested people from inside and outside the country. This would encourage cultural and scientific tourism in Morocco

The most important scientific value of this meteorite, which was evaluated at a high price by a London museum, is that it is not exposed to the effects of pollution, according to the researcher, who heads the University's Laboratory of Crystals, Minerals and Materials. Or the chemical reactions of the soil, as in the case of the old meteorites above the Earth, not to mention the important information about the creation of Mars volcanoes and whether it has the potential for life, especially through possible analyzes of liquids and gases contained within the crystalline pockets.

He added that the results of preliminary analysis of this meteorite revealed that it is a volcanic layer of Mars composed of crystals of Olivine and Peroxin, the main components of the planetary cavity, and that the fragments scattered on vast areas and remains of them are located on the outskirts of the city of Tata on the pathway of the entry of the meteorite of the Earth, These pieces are buried and need more time to excavate, dig and comb, especially on foot within an area of more than 50 square kilometers

Regarding the results of the field research conducted by the Laboratory of the study of crystals, minerals and materials in Agadir on the "meteorite Ticent", the researcher pointed out that it will be issued accompanied by clarifications and data integrated and a map showing areas of the presence of meteorite fragments, during the month of March next in a scientific magazine issued by the American Society of Meteorology and other French specialized in astronomy.

The researcher mentioned what has been promoted in national and international media that the number of meteorites Mars in the world is 50 meteorites, 21 of which took place in Morocco, all of which left the national territory without the knowledge of one of the global destinations where sold at auction in America, and some are found in international museums , But added that the media hype that accompanied the "meteor of Ticent" resulted from being the only Moroccan Mirekh meteor that was seen falling by the naked eye on Sunday, 18 July last in Tata.

It is noteworthy that the science of meteorites interested in the study of natural stones that fall on the surface of the earth is a modern science in the world in general and Morocco in particular