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NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Identifies Massive Recent Impact Crater on Moon
Just the facts
The newly identified crater, named after former Lunar and Planetary Institute director Thomas McGetchin, measures up to 141 feet deep and 728 feet across. Spacecraft imagery indicates the crater was formed between April 11 and May 22, 2024, when an object measuring up to six stories wide struck the lunar surface. Researchers estimated that impact events of this magnitude occur on the moon approximately once every 132 years. Analysis of the surrounding surface revealed that impact debris was thrown over 66 miles, creating a 4-mile-wide region of loosened topsoil around the primary crater structure.
Why this is news
Studies published in Science Advances confirmed that NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered a 728-foot-wide impact crater on the near side of the moon.
Sources
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