TEHRAN – The largest ever exhibition of meteorites in Iran will open on Sunday at the Museum of Anthropology of the UNESCO-registered Golestan Palace in Tehran.

The exhibition will display meteorites which have hit the sprawling Lut Desert and other parts of the country over time.

A gathering of Iranian geoscientists, associated academia and dignitaries have been invited to the opening ceremony of the event.

Meteorite expert Hojjat Kamali, who is a record holder spotter, collector and museum owner of such outer space rocks, is scheduled to deliver a speech at the event, CHTN reported.

“The event will be the largest and first specialized exhibition of Iran’s meteorites, in which over 700 pieces, which are registered with the efforts of Mr. Kamali on international bulletins, will go on display,” said Mehran Maqsoudi, the director of Lut Desert World Heritage.

Meteorites, whether more iron-rich or “stony,” are generally silvery or black, and therefore stand out in two major environments – sandy deserts, or icy realms. According to experts, the dry conditions of a desert help to preserve the space rocks in as original as condition as possible.

The scorching Lut Desert is now being considered to be one of the top areas in the world for finding meteorites, thanks to its unique parameters. In recent years, significant finds have been made, with the efforts of national and international teams of researchers.

Seven years of satellite temperature data analyzed by NASA show that the Lut Desert is the hottest spot on Earth. Based on the research, it was hottest during 5 of the 7 years, and had the highest temperature overall: 70.7°C in 2005.

The exhibition will be running through May 18.

AFM/MQ/MG