NASA researchers discovered the largest newly formed impact crater in the solar system, named McGetchin. Spanning 728 feet wide and 141 feet deep on the Moon’s eastern edge, the crater was created between April 11 and May 22, 2024, by an asteroid or comet impact estimated to occur about once a century.
A routine data check on a giant Moon map led a researcher to an unusually large bright spot circled by a dark halo, signaling a massive surface disruption. Robert Wagner, an image-processing specialist from Intuitive Machines working with data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera system, spotted the anomaly while scanning NASA’s Moon orbiter data. I just stopped, dropped everything, and started looking into what that spot was,
Wagner said.
By comparing before and after images captured by the spacecraft, scientists confirmed the discovery of the largest newly formed impact crater ever identified in the solar system, as detailed in a study published in Science Advances. Officially named McGetchin in honor of pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin, the structure sits on the Moon’s eastern edge.
Dimensions and Impact Scale of the McGetchin Crater
The cosmic impact that carved out the crater involved a space rock roughly the size of a three-to-six-story building. The resulting excavation measures 728 feet wide—spanning the length of two football fields—and reaches a depth of 141 feet, deep enough to hold three vertically stacked yellow school buses. Because the Moon lacks an atmosphere, space debris encounters no air resistance to slow it down or burn it up before surface collision.
Scientists estimate that impacts of this immense magnitude occur on the lunar surface approximately once in a century or even longer. While the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has tracked at least 1,000 new impact craters and flagged 100,000 other surface changes during its operational span, the vast majority are caused by microscopic projectiles leaving holes far too small for orbital cameras to resolve.
Thermal Anomalies and the Surrounding Cold Spot
The disruption caused by the impact extended far beyond the physical boundaries of the crater itself. Following the discovery, researchers utilized the thermal instrument Diviner aboard the orbiter to analyze the site, uncovering a four-mile-wide area surrounding the crater that registers about 16 degrees Fahrenheit cooler at night than its surrounding terrain.
A second paper published in the same journal explains that the impact fluffs up the lunar regolith, rendering it less dense and less capable of retaining heat. This extensive thermal modification demonstrates how major impacts can alter regional surface properties significantly, a factor that could influence how future rover wheels interact with the terrain.
Implications for Future Crewed Lunar Missions
Real-time analysis of crater formation helps researchers build a clearer understanding of lunar geology and surface mechanics. This geological insight serves a practical purpose as both the United States and China advance plans for future crewed missions to the Moon.
