Saudi Arabia, February 1961February 1961

On February 23, 1961, an explosion was observed in the sky over Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia, near Dhahran. The report came from a military weather detachment and other observers, including a senior officer about three miles north of Dhahran. A distinct boom, similar to a sonic boom, was heard, followed by a rolling rumble like distant thunder.

In an otherwise clear sky, a dense white cloud appeared with a zigzag tail trailing to the south, indicating a track from south to north. The tail faded after about 30 minutes, and the dense cloud lasted about 33 minutes. About 12 minutes after the last explosion, fragments fell to earth. Five fragments were recovered, one metallic and four charcoal like, and tests reported silver content, strong magnetism, and very slight radioactivity. A still photograph of the smoke was also taken.

The Air Force card lists the object as a bolide and notes that physical specimens of the meteorite were obtained. A follow up message stated that Harvard University was interested in recovering the meteorite.