Beni M’hira

Tataouine, Tunisia

Fell 2001 January 8, 3:00 hrs local time

Ordinary chondrite (L6)

A meteorite was seen to fall in the Beni M’hira region by the inhabitants of Ksar Beni M’hira, a small village ~35 km E of Foum Tataouine, (SE Tunisia). Three fragments weighing 1720, 300, and 200 g were recovered after the fall by local soldiers. An additional 7 pieces totalling >14 kg were later recovered by private finders. Classification (L. Folco, MNA­SI; N. Perchiazzi, MSNP; N. Laridhi Ouazaa, Tunis): olivine Fa24.3, orthoenstatite Fs21.4, shock stage S5, weathering grade W0. Magnetic susceptibility (P. Rochette, CEREGE), expressed as the decimal logarithm of apparent mass specific susceptibility (χ; in 10⁻⁹m³kg⁻¹), is log χ = 5.01 ± 0.02. Specimens: 2190 g Tunis; type specimen, 29.2 g, and two thin sections, MSNP, one thin section, MNA-SI; 467.7 g, MNHNP; remaining mass with private collectors.