revealed NASA agency Pictures of a huge hole left behind by a “mysterious missile” that collided by the moon in March.
The newly released images were taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), NASA’s robotic spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon, on May 25.
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An astonishing 92-foot (28-meter) “double crater” appears near Hertzsprung crater on the far side of the moon.
A US researcher discovered the rocket’s body hurtling toward the moon in January before hitting the moon on March 4, but its identity remains unknown.
It is said to be a spent booster missile from a launch that took place years ago, but neither China nor the United States will be held responsible.
Mark Robinson, professor of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, said the element weighed about four tons and was traveling at 5,700 miles per hour before the impact.
NASA has shared images of the resulting crater, taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), a three-camera system mounted on the LRO.
“The identity of the rocket body remains unclear,” NASA said.
The space agency said that since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the dual nature of the crater may help establish its identity.
Surprisingly, the crater is two craters – an eastern crater 59 feet (18 m) in diameter, superimposed on a western crater 52 feet (16 m) in diameter.