NASA's Moon orbiter has spotted a newly formed crater on the lunar surface, a find the agency describes as a once-in-a-century event, according to NewVision.co.ug. The crater, named McGetchin, measures 222 metres across and was created by an asteroid roughly the size of a six-storey building, Sky News reports. The impact occurred sometime between 11 April and a later date given in the reporting, though the exact window remains unclear from the available material.
Space Daily notes that the Moon's freshest craters stand out because of the bright rays of rock and dust thrown out by the impact. Over time, space weathering darkens these rays, but McGetchin is young enough that its ejected material still gleams. Sky & Telescope reports that the collision also left a "cold spot" on the Moon, a signature that helped researchers identify the event.
The discovery adds to a small catalogue of impacts observed on the lunar surface in real time, though NASA's description of the event as once-in-a-century suggests its size and freshness are unusual. The crater's name, McGetchin, follows standard lunar naming conventions, though the source material does not explain the choice.
Researchers will likely continue monitoring McGetchin's ejecta as it fades, using the crater to study how quickly space weathering alters fresh lunar surfaces. Further analysis of the cold spot may also clarify the asteroid's size and angle of impact.