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7 official records for observed meteorite falls from Morocco including Western Sahara (Bensour is not a moroccan fall) |
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Douar Mghila Extrait du compte-rendu de M. A. Lacroix sur la météorite de Douar Mghila durant la séance du 17 juillet 1933 à l'Académie des Sciences. Sur une météorite pierreuse tombée au Maroc le 22 août 1932. M. A. LACROIX. Je dois à M. Bourcart les données suivantes sur la première chute de météorite qui ait été observée au Maroc. |
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Oued el Hadjar Nomads heard a loud whistle and saw a 1215.5 g stone fall 200 m from their tent. The stone was broken into many pieces (sacrificed on an altar) 15 days later during a wedding ceremony. |
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Benguerir A meteorite shower was witnessed to fall near Benguerir (~50 km due north of Marrakesh, Morocco) by local people on 2004 November 22nd at ~11:45 GMT. The fall had an east-to-west trajectory. The estimated total recovered mass is ~25-30 kg. Three stones fell at the following localities: Douar Lfokra (32° 13’ 52.9” N, 8° 8’ 56.7” W), Ahl Fouim Sakhra Lourania (32° 15’ 31.2” N, 8° 10’ 51.9” W) and Douar Tnaja (32° 15’ 43.1” N, 8° 9’ 1.3” W). Two additional stones were also found further west, near Si Abdellah and Tnine Bouchane. A stone weighing ~4 kg, possibly recovered at Douar Tnaja, shows dull black fusion crust and regmaglypts on one side, and it is presently held at the office of the Govenor of the Kelaa Sraghna Province. Another stone weighing ~1.2 kg, possibly from Douar Lfokra, is kept in the laboratory of the Gendarmerie Royale. |
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Tamdakht On December 20, 2008, witnesses from a number of locations in Morocco (Agadir, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate) observed a meteor with a W to E trajectory. According to the local newspaper, Al Massae (of December 27th), people from the high Atlas Mountains (between Marrakesh and Ouazazate) heard a sound and felt an aftershock. Due to the high relief in this mountain region, covered with snow at this time of the year, searching for the meteorite was a difficult task. The first reports on finding pieces of a meteorite came a couple of weeks later. The largest impact pit is located near Oued Aachir (1.10 m diameter and 70 cm depth, 31°09.8′N, 7°00.9′W), with a stone exceeding 30 kg and many small fragments. A second one is smaller, (about 20 cm diameter and 10 cm depth; 31°09.9′N 07°02.3′W) located 2 km W from the first one; the main mass from the second impact was probably about 500 g. Nine new impacts coordinates have been reported by S. Buhl and M. Aid, and P. Thomas reported 3 other impacts. A strewn field of at least 25 km long and 2 km wide has been outlined. |
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Itqiy In the year 1990 (±1 year), after a detonation and the appearance of light, one stone of 410 g was recovered near Itqiy by a nomad. A larger stone weighing 4310 g was recovered by Marc, Luc, and Jim Labenne while searching for meteorites in the same place in 2000 July. The larger stone has a black fusion crust exhibiting flow lines. |
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Oum Dreyga On 16 October 2003, Moroccan soldiers stationed in Western Sahara saw a meteorite falling on Gour Lafkah Mountains, south of Zbayra, about 21 km from Oum Dreyga. The meteorite fell near a 670 km long wall built in 1985, protected by antipersonnel mines, and guarded by soldiers. About 17 kg were recovered. Stones from this fall were later brought to Moroccan dealers. Most of them have been collected after a rainfall and are thus slightly oxidized. However, some fragments have been picked up soon after the fall; these are very fresh. Fragments have been sold under the names Amgala and Gor Lefcah. |
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Zag A meteorite fall was witnessed on a mountain in the vicinity of Zag, Morocco. About 175 kg have been sold by local people to dealers and collectors under the names Zag, Sagd, and Tan-Tan. |
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