A crater on the moon, larger than the Roman Colosseum, has been recently identified by scientists following a significant impact event that occurred two years ago without immediate detection.
This crater, measuring 222 meters wide and up to 43 meters deep, stands out as the most substantial impact crater formed in the solar system in recent history.
The rarity of such a large-scale event, estimated to happen only once every 132 years, presents a valuable opportunity for research as NASA lays plans for a lunar base for astronauts.
In a recent publication in Science Advances, scientists noted that this event is a statistically uncommon occurrence, akin to a once-in-a-lifetime observation.
The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) operated by NASA spotted this crater on the moon’s near side in May 2024 shortly after its formation due to an asteroid or comet fragment impact. Notably, this lunar impact eluded detection by telescopes on Earth and in space.
An enhanced view of the McGetchin Crater, outlined on the left, alongside a ‘before’ image on the right. (NASA Goddard/Intuitive Machines/Robert Wagner)
The LRO’s wide-angle images were not initially singled out from the data overload until August 2025. Subsequently, the spacecraft captured more detailed images last autumn, leading to the confirmation of this groundbreaking discovery earlier this year.
The crater has been named in honor of the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Analogous to Gardening
The moon, marked with ancient impact scars, hosts some of the largest impact craters in the solar system, including one spanning over 2,400 kilometers.
The recent impact event altered over 100 kilometers of the lunar surface, ejecting dust and rocky soil at unexpected angles, as noted by Mark Robinson, the chief scientist overseeing the LRO’s cameras at Intuitive Machines. Robinson, the lead author of one of the studies, highlighted this unexpected outcome.
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Another study pinpointed a seven-kilometer cold area surrounding the new crater, indicating a loosening of the moon’s surface layer. Co-author David Paige from the University of California, Los Angeles liken