The official page of the National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research shared a historical fact about parts of Mars falling near Alexandria more than a century ago.
The institute noted that in June 1911, in the village of "Nakhlat" in Abu Hummus district, Beheira Governorate, near Alexandria, a unique incident occurred that astonished everyone and became the talk of newspapers and researchers at the time.
It added, "On that day, about forty stones fell from the sky, the largest weighing around 1.8 kilograms. Upon their descent, these stones appeared like volcanic lava, but in reality, they were pieces from sixteen meteorites that had broken off from Mars millions of years ago. These meteorites scattered in cosmic space before finding their way to Earth, falling precisely in this location, causing massive noise and violent impacts."
The institute explained that villagers who witnessed this strange phenomenon described it as resembling gunfire. They heard loud explosions throughout the village, causing panic among the locals, who rushed to check their homes and lands, fearing a major disaster had occurred.
It continued, "Among those who experienced this event was Dr. Mohamed Ali Effendi, who was treating patients in the village. Like the other residents, he had no explanation for what happened. Overwhelmed with fear and confusion, the doctor reported the incident to *Al-Ahali* newspaper, an independent Egyptian publication at the time. The newspaper took interest in the event and placed it as the headline on its front page, drawing the attention of the Egyptian government, which quickly sent an official delegation to the village to collect and study the stones."
The National Institute for Astronomical and Geophysical Research continued recounting the story: "The interest in this unique event was not limited to the Egyptian government. Researchers from various European countries also visited the village to try to understand what happened." Despite the widespread attention, Egyptian newspapers raised many questions in their coverage: Did the stones truly fall from the sky, or were they the result of an inactive volcanic eruption? Some articles speculated that the stones might have been ejected from a distant volcano, but these theories did not hold up against scientific evidence.
Mr. Hume, head of the Geological Survey of Egypt, was among the first to analyze this phenomenon. He instructed his staff to collect as many stones as possible for study. In his report, he documented the testimonies of farmers who witnessed the meteorites descending from the sky, providing detailed accounts of what occurred.
One of the Geological Survey staff assigned to this task was Effendi Hassan, whose name appeared in Egyptian newspapers and magazines at the time. Upon arriving in the village, he was surprised to find that some locals had already begun selling the stones they had collected. Despite this, Effendi Hassan managed to purchase twenty stones but mentioned in his report that he couldn't gather more, as some villagers had already sold their stones.
As for the testimonies of the villagers, they confirmed that the stones fell within an area spanning a diameter of 4.5 kilometers. They also noted that the meteorite responsible for the event exploded at a high altitude, leaving behind a trail of white smoke. Its descent was not vertical but at an angle of approximately 30 degrees. The explosion was not instantaneous but occurred in successive stages, making its sounds resemble gunfire. The noise was even heard in neighboring villages, such as "Barakat Ghattas," about seven kilometers away from Nakhlat.
One farmer mentioned seeing the rocks fall from the sky just fifty meters away from him, though he did not hear the explosion. Instead, he observed dust rising from where the rocks landed. The Geological Survey report indicated that the stones penetrated the ground to depths ranging from 10 to 30 centimeters, creating slanted holes rather than vertical ones. Furthermore, the report confirmed that when the stones were excavated, they were not hot.
A year after this event, the journal *Al-Muqtataf* published a scientific study by geologist John Ball, who was dispatched by the Egyptian government to investigate the phenomenon. In his study, published in English, John Ball noted that the collected stones had a total weight of about ten kilograms. Half of the stones were covered with a black molten layer, while others were partially coated, and some were crystallized in a grayish-green color.
Some of these stones were preserved in the Geological Museum in Cairo, while samples were sent to major world capitals, such as London, Paris, Washington, Vienna, Rome, and St. Petersburg. These meteorites were the first to be documented as falling on Egyptian soil. Analysis revealed that the meteorites contained radioactive elements like iron, silicon, and aluminum, along with other rare materials.
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