NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater
It started as a routine data-quality check. But as Robert Wagner, a scientist with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), scanned a giant Moon map on his computer screen, an unusually large bright spot circled by a dark halo caught his eye, as it implied that surface material in that area had been shaken up. “I […]
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of a newly formed crater on the Moon, marking what scientists described as a once-in-a-century event. The crater, officially named McGetchin after pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin, measures 728 feet wide and sits 141 feet deep. The impact that created the crater occurred between April 11 and May 22, 2024, when a rock, estimated to have been the size of a three- to six-story building, struck the lunar surface.
This impact event is estimated to occur on the Moon approximately once every century. The discovery underscores the importance of NASA's Moon orbiter data in monitoring the dynamic lunar landscape and supports the agency's goals of establishing a sustained human presence and fostering expanded scientific and commercial activities on the Moon.
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- NASA’s Moon Orbiter Spots New, ‘Once-in-Century’ Moon Crater science.nasa.gov
