Ait Saoun ( 0,814 g )

Ait Saoun        30.7325° N, -6.6339° W
South, Morocco
Confirmed fall: 2024 Aug 06
Classification: Enstatite chondrite (EH3)
History: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC, ATTARIK Foundation, A. Aaronson, Morocco). At 9:42 PM Moroccan time (GMT+1) on 6 August 2024, multiple eyewitnesses from different regions of Morocco witnessed a bright meteor traveling approximately from the WNW to ESE. The meteor was captured by an all-sky camera installed at the Oukaimeden Observatory in the High Atlas (Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech). A field mission was conducted by Prof. H. Chennaoui, M. Aoudjehane, and M. Aboulahris (FSAC, ATTARIK) on August 13 and 14 to collect testimonies and coordinates of the pieces found. A. Aid, M. Aid, Ali, M. Elkouch, Idir, and S. Youssefi helped with the fieldwork. Witnesses from Agoudal, Ouarzazate, Tazenakht, Taoudant, Tiznit, Zagora, and Ait Saoun reported seeing a bluish fireball with red streaks lasting 2 to 3 s. Distant witnesses only described an explosion, whereas those from Ait Saoun reported three powerful explosions followed by a fourth bigger one and a sharp whistling sound. All witnesses mentioned a thunder-like rumble and vibrations similar to an earthquake. The villagers of Ait Saoun and nearby areas reported a strong sulfur odor that filled the region for several hours. The first stones were found the next morning in the village of Ait Saoun, surrounding fields, and residents’ homes. 
Physical characteristics: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC, ATTARIK Foundation). Many small pieces of less than 1 g, a few from 1 to 10 g, and rare bigger pieces and stones. The biggest sample reported so far is 96 g. The estimated total mass is nearly 4 kg. Complete stones are covered with a shiny thin, black fusion crust. The rear part of some oriented stones shows a yellowish-green, ’foamy’ and bubbly fusion crust. The interior is gray with abundant well-defined chondrules, some to 2 mm. A few light-colored grains of irregular shapes are also present. Metal is not visible, but fine sulfide grains can be identified. The samples observed in the field emit a sulfurous odor. The rock is relatively fragile and crumbly hence many of them broke upon impact into a gray powder. The meteorite has a high magnetic susceptibility log χ (× 10-9 m3/kg) = 5.32-5.50 (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, FSAC, A. Irving, UWS).
Petrography: (M. Spilde and C. Agee, UNM; L. Garvie, ASU; A. Irving, UWS; P. Carpenter, WUSL). Optical and scanning electron microscopy show that the meteorite is dominated by sharply defined chondrules, silicate fragments, metal, and sulfides. Porphyritic pyroxene chondrules are most common. The average chondrule diameter is 391±185 μm (n=14). Feldspathic glass/mesostasis is also present. Electron microprobe analyses confirm that enstatite is the dominant silicate, with minor olivine, more ferroan low-Ca pyroxene, aluminous diopside, albite, and a silica polymorph. Silica is locally abundant as grains up to 60 μm. A typical 2 × 2 mm region contains 14 areal% sulfides and 11 areal% metal. Prominent are layered metal-sulfide nodules to 300 μm, dominated by Si-bearing kamacite, Cr-rich troilite, oldhamite, niningerite, and lesser graphite, albite, Na-Si-S-O, K-rich silicate, schreibersite, nickelphosphide, and a Cr sulfide. The albite in the metal-sulfide nodules is close to endmember NaAlSi3O8. One 20 × 5 μm Al-Mg-spinel-rich inclusion was identified. Oldhamite and niningerite are common in the metal-sulfide nodules and as isolated grains between the silicates. Oldhamite is nearly pure CaS, with grains up to 270 × 200 μm, many containing abundant, rounded, <10 μm-sized inclusions of schreibersite. Niningerite is common as anhedral grains up to 150 × 100 μm and typically hosts abundant oriented lamellae of Cr-rich troilite. Roedderite is present. Bulk powder X-ray diffraction of the meteorite shows intense reflections for clinoenstatite, orthopyroxene, troilite, and kamacite, and medium-intensity reflections for olivine, niningerite, oldhamite, and schreibersite. Graphite is present in the metal as rounded grains up to 20 μm. Troilite grains in the metal-sulfide nodules and between the chondrules are equant with a narrow grain size near 20 μm. In addition, there is an abundant minor phase that, by standardless EDS, shows roughly equal proportions of Na-Si-S-O. Ten grains were analyzed and they all have similar element proportions. This material occurs as well-defined, anhedral grains up to 140 × 60 μm in the metal-sulfide nodules and the surrounding silicates.
 
Classification: Enstatite chondrite, EH3, shock low, W0, Petrologic grade 3 based on Si-content of kamacite, abundant chondrules with well-defined boundaries, and presence of feldspathic glass/mesostasis in some of the chondrules,
Specimens: A total of 336 g with Aaronson a piece of 96 g, a piece of 19.76 g, and 220 g of small stones less than 4 g. A total of 330 g with M. Lyon mostly small including a 38 g piece, a 29 g, a 27 g, a 19 g, and many pieces below 10 g. A total of 375 g with WangZ. A total of 40 g (30 g + 10 g) with ATTARIK Foundation. Type specimen locations: UNM 13.8 g including one polished probe mount (7.4 g from A. Habibi, 6.4 g from Aaronson); UWS 20.0 g including one polished thin section and one polished mount (from WangZ); ASU 46.3 g (6.3 g from Aaronson, 40.0 g M. Lyon); FSAC 4.3 g (3.1 g from Aaronson, 0.8 g from A. Aid, 0.4 g from M. Oulkouch).
 
State/Prov/County:
South
Origin or pseudonym:
Ait Saoun village
Date:
2024 Aug 06
Latitude:
30.7325° N
Longitude:
-6.6339° W
Mass (g):
4000
Pieces:
many
Class:
EH3
Shock stage:
low
Weathering grade:
W0
Fayalite (mol%):
1.3±1.3 (n=9)
Ferrosilite (mol%):
1.5±1.1; 17.3 ±5.8
Wollastonite (mol%):
0.4±0.2; 0.7±0.5
Magnetic suscept.:
5.32-5.50
Classifier:
C. Agee & M.Spilde UNM, L. Garvie, ASU, P. Carpenter, WUSL, A. Irving, UWS, H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane FSAC
Type spec mass (g):
84.4
Type spec location:
UNM, UWB, ASU, FSAC
Main mass:
Aaronson/M. Lyon/WangZ
Finder:
Inhabitants of the village of Ait Saoun
Comments:
Work name WZY-213. Submitted by H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane (FSAC, ATTARIK Foundation)