Kaali is a group of nine meteorite craters in the village of Kaali on the Estonian island of Saaremaa. Most recent estimates put its formation shortly after 1530–1450 BC. It was created by an impact event and is one of the few impact events that has occurred in a populated area (other ones are: Henbury craters and Carancas crater). It was, and still is, considered a sacred lake.

It is possible that Saaremaa was the legendary Thule island, first mentioned by ancient Greek geographer Pytheas, whereas the name “Thule” could have been connected to the Finnic word tule (“(of) fire”) and the folklore of Estonia, which depicts the birth of the crater lake in Kaali. Kaali was considered the place where “The sun went to rest.”

Photogrammetry reconstruction in RealityCapture from 267 images. © Saulius Zaura www.dronepartner.lt 2022