American Samoa Observatory - NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
Source: https://gml.noaa.gov/obop/smo
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:13
American Samoa Observatory - NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory
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Global Monitoring Laboratory
American Samoa Baseline Observatory
The American Samoa Observatory (SMO) is located in the middle of the South Pacific, about midway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It is characterized by year-round warmth and humidity, lush green mountains, and strong Samoan culture. The observatory is situated on the northeastern tip of Tutuila Island, American Samoa, at Cape Matatula.
The observatory was established in 1974 on a 26.7 acre site. Since its construction, it has survived two major hurricanes, an earthquake, and a tsunami with only minor damage. A staff of 3 operates the facility year round. This observatory has the distinction of obtaining 30% of its daytime power from solar panels.
The territory of American Samoa consists of 7 islands that lie
4700 km (2600 miles) southwest of Hawaii, in the center of the Pacific Ocean
and are the oldest of the Samoan Islands. The total land mass for the 7 islands
is 197 sq km (76.1 sq miles) with 74% belonging to the island of Tutuila.
Tutuila is roughly 30 km long and 6 km at its widest point with Pago Pago
Harbor at the center of the island. This harbor is the remnants of a volcanic
crater and a deep sheltered location, prime as an ocean vessel port. The majority
of the population resides on this island. The NOAA GML Observatory lies at
the northeast tip of the island, on Cape Matatula, just past the village of
Tula. The drive from the airport to the observatory is roughly 24 miles, passing
the major shopping areas, the port, the center of government, the open market,
and numerous villages nestled along the main road, AS001.
Site Info
Datasets
Data Viewer
News
Personnel
Samoa Publications
Photo Gallery
Daily Commute
Observatory Tour
Current Weather
If you are interested in conducting research at one of the NOAA Baseline Observatories:
Request a New Baseline Observatory
Cooperative Agreement
Location
Country: American Samoa
Latitude: 14.2474° South
Longitude: 170.5644° West
Elevation: 42.00 masl
Time Zone: Local Time + 11 hour(s) = UTC
Contact
Contact Name:
SMO Staff
Address: NOAA Samoa Observatory
P.O. Box 2568
Pago Pago, Cape Matatula, 96799, American Samoa
Phone:
Fax:
Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
Official websites use .gov
A
.gov
website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or
https://
means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
Global Monitoring Laboratory
American Samoa Baseline Observatory
The American Samoa Observatory (SMO) is located in the middle of the South Pacific, about midway between Hawaii and New Zealand. It is characterized by year-round warmth and humidity, lush green mountains, and strong Samoan culture. The observatory is situated on the northeastern tip of Tutuila Island, American Samoa, at Cape Matatula.
The observatory was established in 1974 on a 26.7 acre site. Since its construction, it has survived two major hurricanes, an earthquake, and a tsunami with only minor damage. A staff of 3 operates the facility year round. This observatory has the distinction of obtaining 30% of its daytime power from solar panels.
The territory of American Samoa consists of 7 islands that lie
4700 km (2600 miles) southwest of Hawaii, in the center of the Pacific Ocean
and are the oldest of the Samoan Islands. The total land mass for the 7 islands
is 197 sq km (76.1 sq miles) with 74% belonging to the island of Tutuila.
Tutuila is roughly 30 km long and 6 km at its widest point with Pago Pago
Harbor at the center of the island. This harbor is the remnants of a volcanic
crater and a deep sheltered location, prime as an ocean vessel port. The majority
of the population resides on this island. The NOAA GML Observatory lies at
the northeast tip of the island, on Cape Matatula, just past the village of
Tula. The drive from the airport to the observatory is roughly 24 miles, passing
the major shopping areas, the port, the center of government, the open market,
and numerous villages nestled along the main road, AS001.
Site Info
Datasets
Data Viewer
News
Personnel
Samoa Publications
Photo Gallery
Daily Commute
Observatory Tour
Current Weather
If you are interested in conducting research at one of the NOAA Baseline Observatories:
Request a New Baseline Observatory
Cooperative Agreement
Location
Country: American Samoa
Latitude: 14.2474° South
Longitude: 170.5644° West
Elevation: 42.00 masl
Time Zone: Local Time + 11 hour(s) = UTC
Contact
Contact Name:
SMO Staff
Address: NOAA Samoa Observatory
P.O. Box 2568
Pago Pago, Cape Matatula, 96799, American Samoa
Phone:
Fax: