McGetchin Crater: Massive new lunar impact discovered by NASA

Astronomers have discovered a massive new crater on the Moon, identified as the largest newly formed impact crater recorded in the solar system since modern monitoring began. Named McGetchin Crater in honor of Apollo-era scientist Thomas McGetchin, the feature was located near the Sea of Crises on the Moon’s eastern edge.

Data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) reveals the crater is approximately 222 meters (728 feet) wide and 43 meters (141 feet) deep. The impact, which occurred between April 11 and May 22, 2024, was caused by an asteroid or comet fragment estimated to be the size of a three-to-six-story building. The collision released energy equivalent to roughly 15,500 tons of TNT.

Robert Wagner, an image-processing specialist at Intuitive Machines, identified the anomaly while comparing orbital maps. Researchers noted that an impact of this magnitude is statistically rare, occurring on the Moon only once every 132 years. The discovery provides scientists with a unique opportunity to study the immediate geological consequences of cosmic collisions and the evolution of the lunar surface.