A 9,000-pound SpaceX rocket will crash into the moon tonight. Will you be able to see it?
While the impact itself probably won't be visible from Earth, observers may have a chance to spot a plume of debris rising above the lunar surface.
A 9,000-pound SpaceX rocket, once used for missions by Firefly Aerospace and ispace, is set to crash into the moon on Wednesday morning (Aug. 5). The 45-foot-long, 8,000-pound rocket stage, left over from a January 2025 launch, will strike the lunar surface at around 2:35 a.m. EDT (0635 UTC). While the impact itself will likely go unnoticed from Earth, the launch of a "ejecta plume" could provide an opportunity for skywatchers to observe.
Depending on the force of the impact, debris could be launched high enough above the moon to be visible against the blackness of space, potentially appearing as a faint plume detectable by advanced amateur astronomers using large telescopes and cameras. Although the visibility from North America may be limited due to the low viewing angle, observers in parts of South America may have more favorable conditions.
Spacecraft such as South Korea's Danuri lunar orbiter and NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) will be monitoring the event, offering unique perspectives and allowing for detailed analysis of the newly formed crater. Despite the scientific value of the event, researchers emphasize that the crash represents a valuable opportunity to study the effects of space debris on the lunar surface.
Written by urgent.news from Space.com's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
