Nias (Botohilitano) - LL5 Ordinary Chondrite

Nias is the collector name often used for the Botohilitano meteorite, a witnessed LL5 Ordinary Chondrite fall from North Sumatra, Indonesia. The fall occurred on Nias Island in 2015, and the official Meteoritical Bulletin name is Botohilitano. It is classified as an LL5 Chondrite, meaning it has low total iron and low metallic iron compared with H and L Chondrites, while its type 5 classification indicates significant thermal metamorphism on its parent asteroid. The Meteoritical Bulletin records Botohilitano as a valid Indonesian fall, with a total known weight of 5.8 kg.

Nias, or Botohilitano, specimens typically show the compact texture of an LL5 Ordinary Chondrite, with subdued chondrules, low visible metal, and a grey to brown stony matrix. As a type 5 Chondrite, much of the original Chondritic texture has been partly recrystallised by heat, though the material still preserves the broader structure of an Ordinary Chondrite. The low-metal LL classification gives it a different character from more metal-rich H and L Chondrites.

Studying Nias provides insight into the LL Chondrite parent body, thermal alteration, and the recovery of rare witnessed meteorite falls from Indonesia. Its island provenance, official Botohilitano identity, limited recovered mass, and witnessed fall status make it especially appealing for collectors of modern falls and uncommon geographic localities. Each specimen represents ancient asteroid material formed over 4.5 billion years ago, connected to a documented fall on Nias Island.