Wad Lahteyba (6,30 g)
Wad Lahteyba 27°22’23.153"N, 8°58’51.744"W
Morocco/Western Sahara
Confirmed fall: 2019 June 27
Classification: Ordinary chondrite (H5)
History: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane, H. Al Harbi, FZ. Jadid) On Thursday, 27 June 2019, at 5 pm (GMT+1) a fireball was seen by many people. Eyewitnesses reported a yellow to red color of the fireball during around 3 " on a SW to NE trajectory. No sonic booms were reported. Hundreds of hunters and nomads went to the area where they though the fall occurred. First pieces were recovered on June 29, two days after the event. There were so many reports of the fall that the national Moroccan TV organized a documentary that was shown on the TV news. Many hunters (including "Ali Salem Sayad" and "Ali Amjkar") gave their testimonies to the TV journalists and talked about a potential strewnfield. Eyewitness Ali Tamaarirt saw the fireball from Oued Essakiya and Lhou Ousalah saw it from Lbbouirat. Additional information was given by Ali Hmida and Jaffar. So far, many pieces totaling around 20 kg were collected, the biggest one 4330 g.
Physical characteristics: (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane) Many small pieces from a few grams to 4 kg. Very fresh, thin, black and matte fusion crust covers the pieces. The interior is gray showing numerous chondrules. The rock is friable, and the external part of a small pieces is rough, showing a secondary fusion crust. Metal and sulfides are very thin. Magnetic susceptibility (H. Chennaoui Aoudjehane) measured with a SM30 instrument is log χ (× 10-9 m3/kg) = 5.29.
Petrography: (C. Agee, UNM) Microprobe examination of a polished mount shows numerous porphyritic chondrules set in a recrystallized groundmass. Plagioclase grains are ubiquitous with sizes up to 25 microns in diameter. Abundant FeNi-metal and troilite observed throughout. Apatite and chromite are ubiquitous minor phases.
Geochemistry: (C. Agee, UNM) Olivine Fa18.6±0.3, Fe/Mn=38±3, n=9; low-Ca pyroxene Fs16.4±0.1Wo1.6±0.1, n=7.
Classification: Ordinary chondrite, H5, S3, W0
Specimens: 20.2 g including microprobe mount at UNM (0.3 g) provided by Hamza Al Harbi, as well as 25.3 g provided by the "Moroccan Association of Meteorites" on deposit at FSAC. Vincent Jacques holds the main mass 4330 g plus some pieces totaling 218 g; 19g and 8.7g on a private collection in Casablanca.
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