NASA discovers massive new lunar crater formed by recent asteroid impact

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter captured images of a previously undetected impact site on the Moon’s near side, measuring about 728 feet across and up to 141 feet deep. The impact, which happened roughly two years ago, escaped immediate detection and was only flagged when analysts reviewed the spacecraft’s wide-angle data in August 2025. The feature, named for former Lunar and Planetary Institute director Thomas McGetchin, is three times larger than the last known recent crater and is considered a once-in-132-years event.

Researchers highlighted an unusually high ejection angle of material and a 4-mile-wide cold spot that suggests significant regolith disturbance, likening the process to “gardening” the lunar surface. The findings revise estimates of how often the Moon’s top layer is churned and have implications for protecting future lunar habitats from ejecta. Scientists now aim to model the risk of such debris impacting NASA’s planned Moon base.