Exploring Meteorite Diversity: A Statistical and Compositional Review of the Meteorites in the SAASST Collection

The Meteorite Center at the Sharjah Academy for Astronomy, Space Science and Technology (SAASST) in the United Arab Emirates houses a diverse collection of 8,000 specimens, including 805 meteorites of various types, such as stony, iron, and iron-stony meteorites. These specimens, sourced from various locations worldwide, include meteorites with parent bodies such as the Moon and Mars, providing insights into the rich diversity of meteorite subdivisions and their origins. This collection is the only one of its kind in the Gulf region, making it a distinctive asset within the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and a unique resource for studying the processes that shaped our solar system.

This research paper aims to explore the diversity within the meteorite collection and conduct a statistical analysis to fully utilize its potential. It will discuss the physical and chemical properties of the different meteorite types and the differences between them, using advanced techniques such as X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). These methods will provide detailed insights into the elemental composition, mineral phases, and microstructural characteristics of the specimens, allowing for a deeper understanding of their formation processes and origins. The results are expected to reveal variations in mineralogical composition and structural features across different meteorite types. Additionally, the data will be compared with the retrieval locations of the meteorites to trends that may influence their composition and properties.