A new crater has appeared on the Moon, the first of its size to be recorded in over a century. The impact, which occurred sometime between April and May 2024, was caused by a comet or asteroid roughly the size of a humpback whale – about 10 to 20 metres (30 to 60 feet) across.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) captured images of the lunar surface before and after the event, revealing a fresh depression two soccer fields wide. The crater has been named McGetchin in honour of an Apollo‑era lunar scientist.
Scientists say craters of this scale are expected only once every 132 years, making the event a rare opportunity to study the Moon’s surface. Follow‑up thermal imaging showed a large cold spot surrounding the warm crater, indicating that the impact puffed up the loose lunar regolith, making it less dense and harder to retain heat.
“The area affected by the impact is much larger than the visible crater itself,” explained one of the APOD authors. “This will inform humanity’s understanding of surface impacts and the evolution of the Moon’s surface.”
NASA’s APOD team also used the event to remind observers of the protective role of Earth’s atmosphere, which would have shielded us from a similar impact.
Credit: NASA/GSFC/Intuitive Machines. Authors and editors: Keighley Rockcliffe, Robert Nemiroff, Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti. Published September 23, 2026.
<small>Source: NASA — read the original story there.</small>
