The old name of the town is Shubra Bar (Arabic: شبرا بار) or Shunbar (Arabic: شُنْبَار)[3] which Ramzi derives from Chabriou Kome (Ancient Greek: Χαβρίου Κώμη) named after Chabrias.

[4] Gauthier derives the modern name from Egyptian hap-m-s "which hides what is in it".

[5] Located midway between the city of Alexandria and the western branch of the Nile Delta, south of Lake Adko, Abu Hummus spans between the Cairo-Alexandria Agricultural Road and the El-Mahmoudeya Canal.

[7][8][9] Many people witnessed the meteorite approaching from the northwest, inclination about 30°, along with the track marked with a column of white smoke.

Several explosions were heard before it fell to Earth in an area of 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) in diameter, and about forty pieces were recovered;[10] the fragments were buried in the ground up to a metre deep.