A Giant New Crater Discovered on the Moon (2 photos)

The Moon appears motionless and "dead," but in reality, its surface is constantly changing. Scientists have recorded a rare event—the formation of a large crater, 225 meters in diameter, caused by the impact of a celestial body.





The Moon's surface bears the marks of billions of years of bombardment: unlike Earth, there is no atmosphere, wind, or water to smooth out the impacts. Therefore, each new crater remains virtually unchanged. The recent impact was a unique case for science. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter allowed us to compare images of the surface before and after the impact and study the consequences with high precision.



The new crater is more than three times larger than the previous record-breaking crater recorded during the mission. Scientists estimate that similar impacts occur in the same area of ​​the Moon approximately once every 139 years, so observing the aftermath so soon after the event is a stroke of luck.

The crater is approximately 43 meters deep, and its walls are so steep that it's difficult to hold onto. Enormous rock fragments are scattered around it, some up to 13 meters across.

An analysis of the distribution of the ejected material allowed us to reconstruct the impact direction: the celestial body came from the south-southwest and ejected the bulk of the debris in a northerly direction. Of particular interest were patches of dark material within the crater. Researchers believe this is rock melted by the impact and instantly solidified, turning into glass.

This was reported by the portal Universe Today.