NASA's LRO identifies a rare new impact crater on the Moon
September 19, 2026 at 11:59 AM
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified a new crater on the Moon, formed by a rare asteroid or comet impact that struck in 2024.
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The impact occurred between 11 April and 22 May 2024, when a body roughly 18 meters across struck the Moon, an event NASA says occurs about once every 132 years.
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NASA scientist Robert Wagner discovered the crater in October 2025 while comparing old and new wide-angle camera images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.
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Officially named McGintchen, the crater measures about 222 meters wide and 43 meters deep, which NASA describes as the largest recent impact crater in the solar system.
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NASA attributed the environmental change to the strike, finding that the displaced regolith left a region extending four miles from the crater about 9°C cooler at night.