Huge asteroid impact creates moon crater the size of the MCG
A massive impact crater on the moon formed by a six-storey-sized object is a reminder of risks for NASA's planned moon base.
NASA scientists discovered the largest newly formed crater in the solar system. A six-storey-sized object smashed into the moon and created it.
The crater, named McGetchin, formed between 11 April and 22 May 2024. The crater is about the size of the MCG and as deep as three Greyhound buses stacked vertically.
The collision churned the lunar surface for more than 100 kilometres around the crater. Researchers used images from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been mapping the moon for more than 17 years and has identified at least 1,000 new impact craters in that time.
Scientists estimate about 140 new craters appear on the lunar surface each year, but impacts the size of McGetchin are once-in-a-century events. The discovery highlights the risks NASA must prepare for as it works towards a permanent moon base by the early 2030s.
- Six-storey building
- Object size
- MCG-sized
- Crater diameter
- April 11 - May 22, 2024
- Impact date
- 100 kilometres
- Surface disruption radius
Why it mattersMoon bases face real danger from asteroid and comet impacts, and this crater shows the scale of damage possible.
AustraliaAustralia's space interests are affected by the safety challenges NASA must overcome for sustained lunar missions.
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