DR ‹ › A small fragment of a rare meteorite from Morocco has entered the collection of the Lomonosov Moscow State University's Earth Science Museum in Russia. This new exhibit is a fragment of the Aït Saoun meteorite, named after a village near Ouarzazate, where it fell to Earth in 2024, according to a report aired by BRICS TV. Museum officials said residents in southern Morocco began searching for fragments the morning after the spectacular fireball was spotted in the night sky. Some of the pieces later circulated among private collectors. The Russian university eventually acquired a 1.5-gram sample at an international exhibition in Munich. «This is one of the rarest types of meteorites, an enstatite chondrite», said Mikhail Vinnik, a leading researcher at the museum. «Only about 1% of all chondrites that fall to Earth belong to this category. It is extremely lucky when one falls, and very fortunate for scientists, because these meteorites allow us to study the material from which our Solar System was formed». Researchers say the Moroccan meteorite fragment could provide valuable insights into the early formation of the Solar System, once again placing Morocco, a global hotspot for meteorites, at the heart of major scientific discoveries.
