NASA Discovers Large, Newly Formed Crater on the Moon's Surface
A NASA researcher discovers a large, newly formed crater on the lunar surface resulting from an impact.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
A researcher at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered a large, newly formed crater on the Moon’s surface, in a rare event that scientists say may occur only once every century or more.
NASA stated that the crater, named “McGetchin,” is approximately 222 meters wide and is believed to have formed in spring 2024 as a result of the Moon being struck by a comet or asteroid. Researchers estimated that the impacting body was roughly the size of a three- to six-story building.
NASA said, “Scientists estimate that an impact of this magnitude occurs on the Moon once every century or more.”
Although the crater has existed for years, it was only discovered when researcher Robert Wagner noticed it while analyzing new images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been studying the Moon since 2009.
The crater appeared in the images as a “large bright spot surrounded by a dark halo.”
A study published on Wednesday in the journal Science Advances noted that this crater represents the largest newly formed crater discovered in the solar system to date.
Scientists say that studying the formation of recent craters helps improve our understanding of lunar geology, which could contribute to preparations for future crewed missions planned by both the United States and China.
