Scientists find large recent crater on moon
Researchers identified a steep-sided crater roughly 728 feet across and up to 141 feet deep that formed about two years ago on the moon's near side, the largest known recent impact in the solar system. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter first captured the wide-angle images in May 2024 but the strike was not recognized until August 2025; detailed follow-up images were taken last autumn and confirmed this year. The event disturbed the surface for more than 100 km, produced a 7-km-wide cold spot, and implies faster regolith overturn and new risk data for planned lunar bases.
A 728-foot crater formed recently and disturbed over 100 km
Context
The orbiter captured images soon after the impact in May 2024 but the strike was not identified until August 2025. Scientists now study surface effects and plan to assess risk to NASA's planned moon base. Engineers may use the findings to…
The full analysis
19 dimensions on this story — world impact, market read, and what happens next.
- Full ContextLocked
- Affected SectorsLocked
- Stock ImpactLocked
- Economic IndicatorLocked
- Investor RelevanceLocked
- Professional RelevanceLocked
- Watch PointsLocked
- Probability of ChangeLocked
- Debate PointsLocked
- Historical ParallelLocked
- Prerequisite KnowledgeLocked
- Follow-up QuestionsLocked
- Pros & ConsLocked