Nasa scan discovers new, ‘once in a century’ Moon crater
Nasa said the McGetchin crater is 222 metres wide and likely formed in 2024 when a building-sized comet or asteroid struck the Moon.
NASA scientists have discovered a newly formed crater on the Moon, a rare event that occurs just once in a century or even longer, according to researchers. Dubbed McGetchin, the crater measures 730 feet (222 metres) in diameter, making it the largest new crater ever found in the solar system. Formed in the spring of 2024, scientists believe the impact that created the crater was caused by a comet or asteroid colliding with the lunar surface, with the object responsible estimated to be the size of a three to six-story building.
The crater was first noticed in a scan of the Moon's surface by Robert Wagner, a researcher with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been studying the Moon since 2009. While many craters on the Moon are far larger than McGetchin, real-time observation of a crater's formation can help scientists better understand the Moon's geology and better prepare for future crewed missions to the Moon, currently planned by both the United States and China.
Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks an atmospheric layer, so space debris does not slow down or burn up before impacting the lunar surface.
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Also reported by 3 other outlets
- Nasa scan discovers new, ‘once in a century’ Moon crater freemalaysiatoday.com
- NASA scan discovers new, 'once in a century' Moon crater nst.com.my
- NASA discovers new, massive crater on the Moon lemonde.fr
