Meteorite fall in Falealupo-Tai, Vaisigano, Savai’i, Samoa on 3 February 2021

Last update: 20 February 2021

On 12 February the Samoa Observer reported that a meteorite fell in the costal village Falealupo-Tai in Vaisigano on Savai’i, Samoa in the morning or early afternoon on 3 February 2021. The air temperature around the time of the fall was around 30° C, the sky was mostly cloudy, wind (16-18 mph) was coming from a northern direction and there was no precipitation. The owners of the meteorite started talking about the fall in social media from 8 February. As Tapuitea Sa’eu told the press, her husband Tiapili Gaono Tusani-Moe’ai, and a man referred to as ‘old man Penitusi’ were home in Falealupo-Tai repairing a car when they heard a thunder-like rumbling sound and saw a dark cloud in the sky. Moments later they heard a loud bang and thought a plane had crashed. A beautiful flat, triangular-shaped, flight-oriented and regmaglypted meteorite (most likely an ordinary chondrite (L-type ?)) had just fallen on a wall of volcanic rocks in front of the finder’s house and crashed some of the rocks of the wall. The meteorite (estim. ~ 15x14x7 cm max.) remained intact after its impact and ricocheted across the street where it landed. It was then picked up by Tiapili Gaono Tusani-Moe’ai who later told his wife that the meteorite was ‘cold as ice’ when he touched it.


Afai e iai au faʻamatalaga faʻaopopo e uiga i tulaga o lenei meteorite fall (taimi saʻo, nofoaga, mamafa poʻo le tele o le meteorite ma isi) e mafai ona fesoasoani e faʻaleleia le tulaga o lenei lipoti, faʻamolemole faʻafesoʻotaʻi mai matou. Matou te talisapaia tele lenei! Faafetai!


The intact leading side of the triangular-shaped, conically flight-oriented and regmaglypted meteorite. Photo: Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi

Photo: Fina Elgar Penehuro (7 February 2021)

The meteorite at its impact site on the wall. Photo: Regina Maryknoll – Kona (8 February 2021)

The impact site where the meteorite hit a wall of volcanic rocks. Photo: Regina Maryknoll – Kona (8 February 2021)

The meteorite among volcanic rocks. Photo: Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi

The meteorite at its impact site on the wall. Photo: Regina Maryknoll – Kona (8 February 2021)

Photo: Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi

Close-up of the blackish-brown fusion crust and regmaglypts in the centre of the leading side of the meteorite. Photo: Mane Tupa’i Unasa Tautua (10 February 2021)

Radiant flowlines and brownish fusion crust with patches of lithology on the trailing side of the meteorite. Photo: Mane Tupa’i Unasa Tautua (10 February 2021)

A magnet stuck to the trailing side of the meteorite which shows radiant flowlines. Photo: Sialai Sarafina Sanerivi

Radiant flowlines on the trailing side of the meteorite. Photo: Pili Matamea

Tapuitea Sa’eu telling the story of the fall and presenting the meteorite in front of the wall it hit when it fell. Video: Regina Maryknoll – Kona (8 February 2021)

Eyewitness, possibly the finder, talking about what happened when the meteorite fell. Video: Bettymarrah Tali Fatu Feomai’a (12 February 2021)

Press

LINK (Samoa Observer, 17 February 2021)

LINK (Samoa Observer, 12 February 2021)