New Crater on the Moon: NASA Discovers Largest Recent Impact in the Solar System
NASA discovers the McGetchin crater on the Moon, 222 meters wide. The 2024 impact reveals risks and challenges for future lunar bases. Check out the details.
TL;DR
- NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) discovered a new 222-meter-wide crater on the Moon named McGetchin.
- The impact occurred between April and May 2024, caused by an asteroid or comet fragment estimated to be between 9 and 21 meters in diameter.
- This is the largest impact crater recorded since detailed monitoring began, with an energy release equivalent to 15,500 tons of TNT.
- The crater is 43 meters deep and is located in the eastern region of the Moon, near the Sea of Crises.
- The discovery highlights risks for future human installations on the Moon due to the lack of atmosphere and the debris spread.
- Debris from the impact spread over 96 kilometers, and a 'cold spot' was created in the regolith.
- The crater is named after scientist Thomas McGetchin, who studied lunar cratering during the Apollo era.