Lunar Orbiter Spots ‘Once-in-a-Lifetime’ New Crater on the Moon
The crater, named McGetchin, measures 222 meters across and 43 meters deep, and researchers say such an impact happens about once every 132 years.
- On Wednesday, a study published in Science Advances announced the discovery of McGetchin crater, the largest newly formed lunar impact crater documented in the solar system.
- Intuitive Machines image-processing specialist Robert Wagner spotted the feature on October 24, 2025, while comparing before and after images captured by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
- The impact created a crater 222m wide and 43m deep, while thermal data revealed a 4-mile wide 'cold spot' halo registering 16 degrees Fahrenheit cooler at night.
- Researchers estimate the space rock was the size of a three to six-story building, comparable to the Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013.
- Tracking such rare events, which occur about once every 132 years, provides critical safety data for NASA's Artemis program as it plans for sustained human exploration.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Lunar orbiter spots ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ new crater on the moon
By Deblina Chakraborty, CNN (CNN) — The moon’s surface experienced a violent encounter with a comet or an asteroid — and has a massive battle scar to prove it.The space rock, estimated to be the size of building reaching between three and six stories, slammed into the moon’s eastern edge two years ago, between April
The white spot shows material released by the collision. NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines/Robert Wagner Nasa, the American space agency, identified a new crater on the Moon formed by a rare impact, of a type that according to scientists occurs approximately once a century or even less often. McGetchin's baptized structure is about 220 metres wide and 43 metres deep. It emerged after an asteroid or comet reached the lunar surface.
Scientists Release Details About Moon's New Massive Crater
It's easy to think of the Moon as the static constant companion in the night sky. Its face hasn’t visibly changed in millennia, and always faces us with the same side. But looks can be deceiving, as our closest companion is constantly bombarded by asteroids and comets that make small craters across the lunar landscape. While they might not be large enough for us to see with our naked eye, professional Moon watchers can pick up on them. And a rec…
A NASA probe captured the McGetchin crater on the Moon, the result of the largest impact in the modern solar system.
The crater, officially named McGetchin, is 43 meters deep and about 222 meters in diameter, extending along two football fields.
Researchers identified a new crater on the Moon, called McGetchin, considered the greatest discovery of lunar impact in modern times. The crater, with 222 meters of diameter, was formed between April and May 2024 and discovered in October 2025 by a specialist in image processing from NASA. Discovered from the McGetchin crater The McGetchin crater was detected by NASA's Lunar Recognition Orbiter (LRO), which makes detailed images of the lunar sur…
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