Lunar Impact
On March 17, 2013, a meteoroid crashed into the surface of the moon. Such events are common for the moon, which has no atmosphere to protect itself from incoming debris. In fact, there are hundreds of detectable impacts each year. This particular meteoroid, however, packed an unusual punch, kicking off a powerful explosion as it slammed into the lunar surface. The impact, visible from our planet with the naked eye, created a flash that shined about as bright as the stars of the Little Dipper. Now, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter—a robotic craft that regularly circles the moon—has been tasked to keep an eye out for the crater left behind in the crash. Observing the crater will help scientists validate and improve models of other lunar impacts. Watch the video to see where astronomers think this meteoroid, and others like it, might have come from.
A meteoroid crashed into the moon, creating a flash bright enough to be seen with the naked eye.
The meteoroid was one of hundreds that head toward the moon and Earth each year. Watch to learn more.
These true-color (top) and false-color (bottom) views of the meteoroid impact show the bright flash of light created by the explosion.
The impact occurred in a 700-mile-wide impact basin named Mare Imbrium.
NASA astronomers have detected more than 300 strikes since they began monitoring such events in 2005. The March 17 event is marked here in red.
For More Information
See Science@NASA
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
Science@NASA and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
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Writer
- Aviva H. Rutkin (USRA)
Release date
This page was originally published on Thursday, July 4, 2013.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:52 PM EDT.