NASA discovers large lunar crater formed by 2024 impact

NASA has announced the discovery of McGetchin, a massive lunar crater formed by a recent impact in 2024. Identified via the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, the crater measures approximately 222 meters in diameter and reaches a depth of about 43 meters.

Data published in Science Advances indicates the impact occurred between April 11 and May 22, 2024. The object responsible is estimated to be between the size of a three-story and a six-story building, potentially a comet or an asteroid. Because no monitoring systems recorded the event in real-time, the crater remained undetected for over two years, raising questions regarding the surveillance of near-Earth space.