Before-and-after NASA images show crater carved by a SpaceX rocket that slammed into the moon

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has captured the sharpest images yet of a crater caused by a SpaceX rocket's impact on the moon. The crash occurred on August 5 when the Falcon rocket's upper stage slammed into the lunar surface at 5,400 mph (8,700 kph), launching two private moon landers into space, including a tiny rover.

According to scientists, the fresh crater is approximately 60 feet (18 meters) wide and less than 10 feet (3 meters) deep. Dark and bright streaks emanate from the impact area, with the darker lines representing material excavated from close to the surface and the brighter rays indicating fresh rocks and dirt that were hurled from deeper within the lunar crust.

The spacecraft captured the crater a week after the collision from a distance of 60 miles (96 kilometers), while traveling at a speed of one mile per second. Initially, the impact scene was out of view, but the orbiter managed to photograph it after six days of observation, after tilting its cameras to point toward the area.