El Menia 001 is an L5 chondrite meteorite that fell in Algeria on Saturday, March 11, 2023, at approximately 10:30 am local time. The event was witnessed by multiple people in Algeria and Mauritania, including residents of El Menia and surrounding areas. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a bright fireball moving from north to south at high speed and a shallow angle of entry. Shortly after the fireball passed, residents in El Menia heard a sonic boom and reported stones falling to the ground.

The meteorites were recovered soon after the event, many of which were found with fresh fusion crust, some displaying a bluish hue. Some stones appeared to have "skipped" on the sand upon landing. Stones fell in farms and camel pastures near El Menia, with the first pieces being recovered by local residents. Most of the stones were found in the Hassi Walen area, southwest of El Menia, with the strewn field stretching between coordinates 30°30’01.4" N 02°50’04.4" E and 30°21’57.6" N 2°43’04.5" E. The center of this field was estimated to be about 5 km from the nearby town of El Nebka.

In total, over 100 individual stones and fragments were collected, weighing between less than 1 gram to over 1 kilogram, with a total estimated weight of 75 kg. This meteorite fall offers a unique opportunity for scientific study and is highly valued by collectors due to its fresh recovery and well-documented fall.

El Menia 001 is one of my classifications, shared with several friends and colleagues.