A space rock hit the Moon and created a new crater. This event happened in late spring 2024. The crater is 225 metres wide, about the size of two football pitches. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera took pictures before and after the impact.
The Moon always gets hit by space rocks. They create new craters every day. However, seeing a new crater form is rare. Before this, the largest crater from this mission was 70 metres wide. This new one is much bigger. It should happen only once every 139 years in one place on the Moon.
The new crater is funnel-shaped and 43 metres deep. The walls are steep and hard to stand on. Large blocks of rock are scattered around its edge. The impact came from the south-southwest, showing how the debris moved.
Inside the crater, scientists found dark, glassy rock. This formed from the heat of the impact. The images taken before and after allow researchers to study how craters form in the Solar System.
