New Lunar Crater Reveals Rare 130‑Year Impact Event, Scientists Say

The discovery of a new lunar crater–dubbed McGetchin–has set off a wave of excitement among planetary scientists. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), orbiting since 2009, captured more than three million images, and a meticulous review of a few hundred frames this week revealed the biggest fresh impact site ever recorded on the Moon.

New lunar crater marks a once‑in‑↑ 130 years event

Measuring roughly 222 m across and 43 m deep, the pit is comparable in length to two football fields and tall enough to accommodate a 14‑story building. The impactor, estimated to be the size of a three‑to‑six‑story structure, struck the lunar surface in late April or early May 2024, carving a pristine rim that has barely suffered space weathering.

“We expected a crater of this magnitude only once every century,” said Julie Stopar, deputy principal investigator for LRO’s camera, in an interview with Reuters.

The formation site sits on the sharp boundary between the dark basaltic mare and the brighter highland crust, offering a rare cross‑section of lunar geology. Ejecta blankets both terrains, allowing researchers to compare how different materials respond to a high‑velocity impact.

Implications for future lunar operations

Understanding the current impact rate is vital as commercial and national programs eye permanent bases. “If a new lunar crater of this size can appear every ↑ 130 years, we need to factor that frequency into hazard assessments for habitats and surface assets,” Stopar explained.

Beyond safety, the crater could serve as a time‑stamp for dating older, weathered pits. By calibrating crater‑degradation models against this fresh benchmark, scientists hope to refine the lunar chronology that underpins the history of the inner Solar System.

Amateur astronomers have already reported a faint, white halo surrounding the site, suggesting that the bright ejecta may be observable from Earth under optimal conditions. The team plans to return LRO’s high‑resolution camera for a targeted fly‑by later this year, and a sample‑return mission is being floated as a long‑term objective.