Scientists have uncovered a massive crater on the moon, surpassing the size of the Roman Colosseum, resulting from a significant impact that went unnoticed two years ago. Measuring 222 meters wide and up to 43 meters deep, this crater is now recognized as the largest recent impact crater in the solar system.
This extraordinary event, occurring approximately once every 132 years, presents a valuable opportunity for research as NASA plans the construction of a lunar base for astronauts. The discovery, detailed in two studies published in Science Advances, is considered a rare and significant observation.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) identified the crater on the moon’s near side in May 2024, following its formation by an asteroid or comet fragment. Notably, the impact eluded detection by Earth-based and space telescopes at the time.
Named after the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute, the crater has altered a significant portion of the moon’s surface, ejecting dust and rocks over a distance exceeding 100 kilometers. Mark Robinson, the lead author of one of the studies and chief scientist for LRO’s cameras at Intuitive Machines, noted the unexpected trajectory of the ejected material.
Further analysis revealed a seven-kilometer-wide cold region surrounding the crater, indicating a disruption in the moon’s top layer. This phenomenon, likened to gardening by co-author David Paige from the University of California, Los Angeles, involves the overturning of sediment layers, altering the moon’s surface composition.
The LRO’s continuous observations have unveiled that the moon’s top layer is overturned every 80,000 years, faster than previously thought. Robinson highlighted that the footprints left by Apollo moonwalkers will not endure indefinitely, contrary to popular belief.
The focus now shifts to assessing the potential risks posed by ejected crater material to NASA’s forthcoming moon base. This crucial information will aid in enhancing the base’s structural integrity to mitigate any potential damage.