Trending Now - Scientists Uncover Century-old Crater on the Moon's Surface

WHO:

ScienceAlert - Scientists involved in the discovery of the new lunar crater.

Phys.org - NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera played a key role in the research.

WHAT:

ScienceAlert - A new crater measuring 225 metres across was discovered on the Moon.

Universe Today - The newly formed crater is more than three times the diameter of the previous largest crater found during the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter mission, which was 70 metres across.

ScienceAlert - The crater is funnel-shaped and 43 metres deep, with walls steep enough to make standing on them difficult.

Universe Today - The largest blocks of ejected rock around the crater measure approximately 13 metres across.

ScienceAlert - The impact event is estimated to occur only once every 139 years on any given patch of lunar ground.

WHERE:

ScienceAlert - The crater is located on the Moon's surface.

WHEN:

ScienceAlert - The significant impact that created the crater occurred in late spring of 2024.

ScienceAlert - The research findings were presented at the 57th Lunar and Planetary Sciences Meeting in March 2026.

WHY:

ScienceAlert - The discovery is valuable because it provides high-quality before-and-after imagery of a crater of this size, allowing researchers to refine models of crater formation.

HOW:

ScienceAlert - The crater was studied using images taken before and after the impact, captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera.

ScienceAlert - The direction of the impactor was inferred from the distribution of debris, indicating it arrived from the south-southwest and sprayed material northward in a tongue-shaped pattern.

ScienceAlert - Areas of unusually dark material found inside the crater are believed to be glassy rock, flash melted by the heat of the impact and then solidified.

(UPDATED April 13, 2026 17:21 UTC)

A new lunar crater measuring 225 meters across has been discovered on the Moon, thanks in part to NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera, which played a crucial role in the research. This newly formed crater, located on the Moon's surface, is more than three times the size of the previous largest crater found during the mission and is estimated to have formed in late spring of 2024. Researchers presented their findings at the 57th Lunar and Planetary Sciences Meeting in March 20th26, revealing that the impact event is expected to occur only once every 139 years on any given patch of lunar ground.