{
  "id": 9465979,
  "title": "New Lunar Crater Offers Keys To Moon’s Shallow Subsurface",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/new-lunar-crater-offers-keys-to-moons-shallow-subsurface",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-24T02:17:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Universe Today",
    "slug": "universe-today",
    "url": "https://www.universetoday.com/articles/new-lunar-crater-offers-keys-to-moons-shallow-subsurface"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has discovered a newly formed crater on the Moon's near side, approximately 330 kilometers from the edge of Mare Crisium. The impact that created McGetchin Crater is believed to have occurred in spring 2024 and was only detected in LRO images last year. The crater spans 728 feet in width and is the largest new crater discovered by LRO since its orbit began in 2009.\n\nThe impact likely excavated deep beneath the Moon's outer surface, providing valuable insights into the lunar subsurface. Erik Asphaug, a planetary scientist, noted that this crater could serve as a treasure trove for lunar geology, as it is the largest new crater found by LRO.\n\nThe ejecta from McGetchin Crater extends far beyond the crater itself, providing new information for planning sustainable infrastructure on the lunar surface. Scientists have found a 4-mile-wide area around the crater that is significantly cooler at night compared to its surroundings, suggesting that the impact disturbed the lunar regolith extensively.\n\nThis cold spot, about 7 km in diameter, is formed due to the disturbance of the regolith. Such cold spots have been known for decades and serve as reliable markers of the youngest impact craters on the Moon. The cold spot around McGetchin Crater enables investigations of regolith thickness, the recent impact cratering rate, and potential source craters for lunar meteorites found on Earth.",
  "summary": "Asteroids which strike the Moon and create new craters offer lunar scientists a window onto the workings of our natural satellite’s shallow subsurface.",
  "key_points": [
    "McGetchin Crater formed in spring 2024, discovered by LRO in 2023",
    "Crater 728 feet wide, largest new crater since 2009",
    "Cold spot 4 miles wide around crater reveals subsurface insights"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The discovery of McGetchin Crater provides scientists with a unique opportunity to study the Moon's shallow subsurface and regolith, offering insights that could inform sustainable infrastructure planning and lunar geology research.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}