[Reading level: B2 – Upper Intermediate]
Meteorites are often black and stand out against the desert sand, making them easier for “hunters” in the northwestern African country of Mauritania to spot.
Scientists estimate that more than 45 tons of meteoritic material enter Earth’s atmosphere each day. Most of it burns up, creating shooting stars. Of the few meteorites that don’t burn up, the majority fall into the ocean. The rest go largely unnoticed as they blend in with Earth’s natural rocks.
But in the vast desert regions of Mauritania, a country in northwestern Africa, herders have learned how to search for meteorites. According to them, the rocks often have a dark surface due to melting as they pass through the atmosphere. Although such meteorites exist all over the world, scientists say they are particularly easy to find in places like deserts, where they stand out against the yellow and brown background of sand.
Meteorite hunting has become a hobby for local people and also a way to earn money.
Driving from Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, to the desert camp of Bir Moghrein, where nomads reside, takes at least 18 hours. The second half of the journey is across sandy roads with no signs at all.
In 2011, nomads in neighboring Morocco said they saw a fireball light up the sky. Scientists later confirmed that a massive Martian meteorite, which they named Tissint, had fallen in that country. Fragments of it were distributed among museums, research institutes, and collectors. Researchers believe it may contain evidence of water on Mars.
The discovery sparked a wave of curiosity across the region. News spread even to the most remote areas of Mauritania. The hunt for meteorites began.
Mohamed Bagouma, a livestock herder and part-time meteorite “hunter” from Bir Moghrein, said he started searching for space rocks about a decade ago.
“To me, it was strange,” Bagouma said. “We used to think those rocks were useless.”
As Bagouma and his son cross the desert with their herd of camels, they always keep their eyes on the ground. Bagouma said he had only found a valuable meteorite once, but he still holds out hope. He recalls the story of another herder who found a meteorite so valuable that it gave him enough money to move his whole family to the city.
Bagouma often brings the rocks he collects to Lamine Henoun, a local expert.
Henoun, 50, studied literature in university and speaks several languages. He now works part-time as a security guard. He has taught himself about meteorites. He says the most common type is chondrite, originating from the asteroid belt. The rarest and most valuable types come from Mars and the Moon.
“This one’s pretty good,” Henoun said as he examined the rocks Bagouma brought on a recent evening.
From his small pouch, Henoun took out a magnifying glass and a magnet. Most meteorites contain iron-nickel, a metal alloy that attracts magnets and is not found in Earth rocks. He held the magnet near the most promising rock and then shook his head in disappointment. It didn’t attract the magnet.
“Finding meteorites is mostly about luck,” Henoun said.
Every day, herders bring rocks to him, but Henoun says he only finds one or two valuable pieces each month. When that happens, he goes to the customs office in town, connects to the Internet via Starlink, and posts photos on Facebook and TikTok, hoping to attract collectors.
He once earned $55 from selling a rare chondrite. It was the most money Henoun had ever made from selling a meteorite. That’s nearly equal to his monthly income. “In reality, poor people here don’t benefit much,” Henoun said.
Ahmedou Cheikh Abba is an exception. The 36-year-old cleric said he never cared about meteorites until 2023, when he joined a gold-digging group near the Algerian border.
During a break, he spotted “a rock darker than the others.” “It had lots of colors inside. I knew that was a sign of a meteorite,” Abba said.
He posted a photo of the rock on Facebook and got many responses. Abba later sold it for $2,500 to a buyer from Morocco. The buyer believed it was a Moon rock.
But after conducting a more detailed analysis, the man determined it was just a regular stone. By then, however, Abba had already shared the money with his family and taken his kids on vacation.
“Everyone knows hunting meteorites always comes with risks,” he said with a shrug.
Meteorite hunting is largely unregulated in Mauritania. On a recent day in Nouakchott, a group of middle-aged men, all claiming to be meteorite dealers, chatted animatedly by the roadside. When a reporter arrived, they pulled out stones of various colors and sizes.
Hama Sidi Othaman smiled as he showed off his goods. He said he had been hunting meteorites since 2011 and was offering one rock for $64,000. He insisted it was a bargain for any collector.
“It definitely comes from the Moon,” Othaman asserted.
Ely Cheikh Mohamed Navee currently serves as president of the Mauritania Astronomy Association. According to Navee, he is the only Mauritanian with a PhD in planetary science.
Navee said Mauritania currently has six potential meteorite craters, two of which have been confirmed and documented by scientists in the Earth Impact Database.
Robert Ward, a meteorite collector from Arizona, USA, is among the growing number of people promoting the trade of space rocks. Ward said some of the best specimens he has collected come from North Africa, including Mauritania.
He noted that similar treasures may lie scattered across the American Southwest. “But people here just sit and watch TV,” Ward said. “Over there, they look for them every day.”
Although Mauritania has no museum dedicated to meteorites and no matching market for them, Navee insists his country still has a clear advantage.
“Nomads are the best collectors in the world,” he said.
“Meteorites found in Mauritania can teach us a lot about the universe and our place in it,” Navee emphasized. “The future lies in things that come from space.”
Source: https://vnexpress.net/nhung-nguoi-san-thien-thach-giua-sa-mac-4874822.html
WORD BANK:
meteorite /ˈmiː.t̬i.ə.raɪt/ (n): thiên thạch
stand out (against sth) /stænd aʊt/ (phr v): [B2] nổi bật (trên nền…)
spot sth /spɑːt/ (v): [B2] phát hiện ra
meteoritic material /ˌmiː.t̬i.əˈrɪ.t̬ɪk məˈtɪr.i.əl/ (n): vật chất thiên thạch
shooting star /ˈʃuː.t̬ɪŋ stɑːr/ (n): sao băng
blend in with sth /blend ɪn wɪð/ (phr v): [B2] lẫn với cái gì
herder /ˈhɝː.dɚ/ (n): người chăn gia súc
nomad /ˈnoʊ.mæd/ (n): [C1] người du mục
Martian /ˈmɑːr.ʃən/ (adj): thuộc về Sao Hỏa
fragment /ˈfræɡ.mənt/ (n): [C1] mảnh vỡ
distribute /dɪˈstrɪ.bjuːt/ (v): [B2] phân phối, chia
spark sth /spɑːrk/ (v): [C1] khơi dậy cái gì đó
a wave of curiosity /ə weɪv əv ˌkjʊr.iˈɑː.sə.t̬i/ (n phr): một làn sóng hiếu kỳ
livestock /ˈlaɪv.stɑːk/ (n): gia súc
asteroid belt /ˈæs.tə.rɔɪd belt/ (n): vành đai tiểu hành tinh
pouch /paʊtʃ/ (n): túi
magnifying glass /ˈmæɡ.nə.faɪ.ɪŋ ɡlæs/ (n): kính lúp
alloy /ˈæl.ɔɪ/ (n): hợp kim
conduct /kənˈdʌkt/ (v): [B2] tiến hành
analysis /əˈnæl.ə.sɪs/ (n): [B2] sự phân tích
largely /ˈlɑːrdʒ.li/ (adv): [B2] hầu hết
unregulated /ʌnˈreɡ.jə.leɪ.t̬ɪd/ (adj): không được quản lý
chat animatedly /tʃæt ˈæn.ə.meɪ.t̬ɪd.li/ (v phr): trò chuyện huyên náo
insist /ɪnˈsɪst/ (v): [B1] khẳng định
bargain /ˈbɑːr.ɡɪn/ (n): [B2] món hời
planetary science /ˈplæn.ə.ter.i ˈsaɪ.əns/ (n): khoa học hành tinh
crater /ˈkreɪ.t̬ɚ/ (n): hố
specimen /ˈspes.ə.mɪn/ (n): [C1] mẫu vật
scattered /ˈskæt̬.ɚd/ (adj): [C1] rải rác
dedicated to sth /ˈded.ə.keɪ.t̬ɪd tə/ (adj): [C1] dành riêng cho cái gì
matching /ˈmætʃ.ɪŋ/ (adj): [B2] tương xứng
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