Tehran Times - A major museum, specialized for meteorites, is scheduled to be opened to the public on July 2 at Tehran’s Azadi Tower (Borj-e Azadi).

A gathering of geoscientists, academia and cultural officials will attend the opening ceremony, which according to organizers, would be the first and the largest meteorite museum in the country, IRNA reported.

Over 1200 pieces will be put on show at the exhibit. Many of the meteorites have been collected by Hojjat Kamali, who is a record holder spotter, collector and museum owner of such outer space rocks.

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

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.

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.