Muscat: The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism inaugurated the Meteorite Corner on Saturday, at the Crowne Plaza Duqm Hotel in Al Wusta Governorate as part of its efforts to utilise geological heritage and enhance the tourism and cultural experience in the Sultanate of Oman.
The corner features a collection of rare meteorite samples from the Jiddat Al Harasis meteorites, allowing hotel visitors the opportunity to view them up close and learn about their history and scientific value, as well as the Sultanate of Oman’s efforts to preserve them as an important cultural heritage.
The Meteorite Corner contains a distinctive sample from the Jiddat Al Harasis 91 meteorite, the largest meteorite fall discovered to date in the Sultanate of Oman. The meteorite’s path extends approximately 52 kilometres, and the number of meteorites collected amounts to more than 700, with a total weight of approximately 4,600 kilogrammes.
Documented scientific studies indicate that this fall in its original location dates back more than 12,600 years. The corner also includes a meteorite sample from the Jiddat Al Harasis 73 meteorite, which is classified as a stony chondrite of the L6 type. This meteorite is considered the second-largest meteorite fall discovered to date in the Sultanate of Oman.
Scientific studies indicate that this meteorite continued to travel in the asteroid belt in space, weighing more than 20 tonnes. Its fall in its original location is estimated to have occurred 15,600 years ago, during the Palaeolithic period. 3,638 pieces from this fall have been documented, with a total weight of 620.9 kilogrammes, with a longitudinal scattering path extending 25.8 kilometres
