Meteorite ‘Sayh al Uhaymir 008’ returns to Mars from Oman

MUSCAT, MARCH 1 - In a major scientific development, the meteorite ‘Sayh al Uhaymir 008’, which was found in the Wilayat ‎of Haima of Al Wusta Governorate, in 1999, is now sent to its original home, Mars, ‎through a Nasa trip to Mars.‎ This Omani meteorite is the first rock sent back by ‎humans to its motherland Mars. There was no ‎precedence of such scientific development in the ‎world. This effort is aimed at learning the history ‎of the solar system and its components during various ‎eras since the birth of the sun and the planets around ‎it. There are proofs that the rocks have evidence of ‎geological structure of Mars.‎ The meteorite ‘Sayh al Uhaymir 008’ weighs more ‎than 8 kilograms. It was formed about 450 ‎million years ago due to a cosmic development ‎resulting from the collision of an asteroid or comet ‎with the planet Mars, parts of it flying into space ‎before it fell on the territory of Oman.‎ Nasa through its Arabic language account “@Arabic_Nasa” tweeted that after a detailed chemical ‎examination in the “Max Planck” laboratory of ‎Germany, the researchers found evidence that the ‎origin of the meteorite rock Sayh al Uhaymir 008 ‎was Mars and not Earth. Therefore, the option ‎was to carry it to Mars to be used as a calibration ‎target.‎ It also said that the meteorite found in the ‎Sultanate was preserved in the Natural History ‎Museum of London, which includes interesting and ‎diverse meteorites from different countries around the ‎world. The number of Martian meteorites found on our ‎mother Earth was around 424 only. It indicates that ‎the meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 008 was a rare meteorite of the world. Nasa’s same ‎account further added that the evidence indicated ‎that the rocks had the evidence of the geological ‎composition of Mars.‎ The meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 008 bore the symbol ‎SaU008 as the first rock which humans returned to ‎its motherland.‎ Using the same account, Nasa said that the returning ‎of the meteorite to Mars was ‎not planned by geologists in 1999. Instead, when the ‎work started to develop Mars Ranger ‘Perseverance,’ ‎scientists suggested using a Martian meteorite found ‎on Earth should be in the ranger. The idea was that ‎this Omani Martian meteorite will help in processing ‎the images captured by the ranger into their true ‎colours and textures, without being affected by any ‎natural conditions.‎ It was also decided that the Martian meteorite would ‎act directly as a calibration target instead of a ‎piece of metal or coloured pieces with specific ‎colours used for the purpose, as usual, it said.‎ The Nasa account noted that meteorites were not ‎considered financial wealth as being propagated. ‎Rather, it has scientific importance. It can help ‎scientists and researchers in a deep understanding of ‎the characteristics of the solar system and how it ‎was created.‎ SOLAR SYSTEM The study of meteorites is aimed at learning the ‎history of the solar system and its components ‎during various eras, from the birth of the sun and ‎the planets around it to the present day.‎ Nasa also tweeted in Arabic that these rocks could ‎open new scientific horizons. They would have ‎evidence of the geological and biological ‎compositions of Mars which would inevitably provide ‎explanations about the belief that previously there ‎were living organisms on the Red Planet.‎ Malik bin Mohammad al Dohani, a member of the Board ‎of Directors of the Oman Astronomical Society, said ‎that meteorites were of great scientific importance. They must be taken care of and studied in local ‎universities by researchers and experts to ‎contribute to international scientific efforts for ‎understanding and learning about the origin and ‎history of the solar system.‎