Morocco issues the first guide in the Arab world and Africa on meteorites

Khaled Ait Nasser-Agadir

A professor of crystallography and meteorology at the University of Ibn Zahr in southern Morocco issued the first scientific guide on meteorites in the Arab world and Africa, dealing with more than 100 types of meteorites known.

The guide - named "meteorites - miniature guide" - was prepared by Dr. Abdel Rahman Abhi and published under the supervision of the University Meteorological Museum with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Communication.

The 72-page micro-scale guide aims to disseminate the meteorology culture by identifying its properties, types and sources, using a series of colorful illustrations of their scientific names.

The guide tackled the scientific methodology used to identify the meteorite and how to differentiate it from ordinary stones. It also includes a detailed description of the meteorites with an appendix.

Directory for those interested
The guide is a tool for those interested in collecting meteorites from various social groups, including students, professors, traders and brokers, especially since Morocco is one of the largest exporters of meteorites around the world.

Abhi told Al-Jazeera Net that they have issued this guide so that the interested person can distinguish between meteorites and ordinary earth stones, noting that since 2002 they have received many people interested in meteorites attending stones, more than 98% of which are stone.

"So they did statistics and collected these earth stones that resemble meteorites and took pictures and set them definitions along with images of meteorites that resemble them so that the recipient can distinguish them.

Abhi said that this guide is mainly concerned with students, researchers and professors who have a problem in distinguishing between meteorites and ground stones. In the second class are traders, brokers and amateurs. He pointed out that they will tour the desert areas to distribute this guide to those interested in meteorites at a symbolic price to encourage them to read it.

The first meteorological guide in the Arab world and Africa
According to Abhi, "I am sure that there is no evidence of meteorites in the Arab and African world," pointing out that this is due to the problem of not teaching meteorology in Arab and African universities, he said, and if the science of meteorites does not study "Who will write about?

The Moroccan meteorologist adds that researchers in meteorology in Arab and African countries are few, which is reflected in the absence of meteorological books in these countries.

Abhi points out that the University of Ibn Zahr in southern Morocco is the only one to study meteorology at the bachelor's level, in addition to the presence of students of doctoral researchers at the University of Hassan II in Casablanca and the University of Ibn Zahr.

A country rich in meteorites
Abhi explained to Al-Jazeera Net that Morocco is one of the countries where meteorites are discovered and has become one of the first countries exporting them.

He added that a researcher in the doctoral stage is a thesis on African meteorites - which he supervises - appeared during his work in the analysis of meteorites subject matter that Morocco is the first in terms of meteorites falling from the sky, as well as meteorites found by people in the ground.

In addition, Morocco is known as a space for the sale and purchase of meteorites, unlike Algeria, for example, where this is completely prohibited. Morocco is therefore receiving meteorites from Mali, Algeria and Mauritania.

The first museum of meteorites
Morocco is one of the countries famous for the fall of meteorites, especially in the open areas of the southern Moroccan, and because these celestial bodies are vulnerable to loss and intercontinental trade Abyei was founded with researchers of meteorological university museum of Banzher University in Agadir is the first Arab and African, and this guide to introduce various meteorites that Falling in Morocco, most of which are located in the university museum in the city of Agadir.

In this regard, Abhi says that the University Meteorological Museum is the first African and Arab country. It is now a space for students and researchers to learn. They also receive students from various educational institutions according to a specific program and researchers from other countries, including Mali, Tunisia, Iraq and Mauritania.

He noted that last year they received four international laboratories from Spain, France, Italy and Mexico, and a partnership with the Meteorology Laboratory in Italy. This year, the university was able to equip the museum with 800 million centimeter (about 840,000 dollars) Without resorting to other countries abroad.