𝐄𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐦𝐢. Algeria H5. Part slice (26.4g)

In 1997 January, an unknown mass of material, possibly broken apart from a single large stone, was sold to meteorite collectors by nomads near the town of Mhamid, Morocco.

The nomads claimed that this meteorite was found to the south, in Algeria (~29º50’N 5º50’W), in the direction of a fireball seen in 1995 January.  In 1997 September, the same nomads shipped a fragment of a meteorite that they claimed was seen to fall on 1997 August 10 to Mr. Edwin Thompson.  In 1997 November, Thompson traveled to Mauritania and collected six fresh-looking stones totaling 200 kg at the base of the El Hammami Mountains in Mauritania (1000 km southwest of Mhamid, Morocco), probably in the place where they fell. Fragments of these have been sold by dealers under the name El Hammami. The total known mass of this fall is around 240 kg. It is classified as an H5 chondrite.