Scientists have identified a large new crater on the Moon, formed by an asteroid or comet impact in 2024. Measuring approximately 222 meters across and up to 43 meters deep, the crater is the largest recently formed impact site observed in the solar system. The discovery was made using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), which has been mapping the lunar surface since 2009.

The crater, named McGetchin in honor of the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute, was detected after researchers reviewed LRO images captured shortly after the impact. Although the crater’s formation occurred in the spring of 2024, it went undetected initially and was identified only in 2025, highlighting challenges in monitoring such events in near real-time from Earth and space telescopes.

Analysis suggests the impactor was roughly the size of a three- to six-story building. Scientists estimate that an impact of this size occurs on the Moon roughly once every 100 to 130 years, making it a relatively rare event. The force of the collision disturbed the lunar surface over an area exceeding 100 kilometers, ejecting dust and rocky soil at higher angles than previously expected.

Researchers highlight the significance of this discovery, as it offers valuable insights into how impacts shape the Moon’s surface, a process that plays a role in overturning the upper layer of lunar soil, or regolith. The findings point to a geological gardening effect, where impacts churn sediments and expose material from beneath the surface. One study identified a “cold spot” about 7 kilometers wide around the crater, indicative of how the soil was loosened by the impact.

The observations also challenge the popular notion that footprints left by Apollo astronauts remain indefinitely preserved. According to scientists involved in the studies, the lunar surface is renewed on geological timescales, with the top two centimeters of soil expected to be overturned every 80,000 years. This process would eventually erase human-made marks like footprints.

The discovery has practical implications as space agencies, including NASA, prepare for future crewed missions and potential lunar bases. Understanding the frequency and effects of such impacts is critical for designing structures that can withstand ejecta from impacts and mitigate the risk of damage. Researchers are now focused on assessing how the ejected material from craters like McGetchin could affect planned lunar installations, aiming to ensure the safety and sustainability of long-term human presence on the Moon.