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last mo.

LRO Identifies McGetchin, a 222‑Meter Crater Formed in 2024

It provides a rare before‑and‑after dataset to test impact and ejecta models that will inform engineering for lunar infrastructure.

A zoomed-in view of the Moon made from images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera.
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Moon's Surface captured by NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Image Credit NASA.
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Overview

  • Researchers confirmed in Science Advances and through LRO imaging that a 3–6‑storey‑sized asteroid or comet fragment created the crater between April 11 and May 22, 2024.
  • The feature measures about 222 meters across and roughly 43 meters deep and has been officially named McGetchin by the IAU.
  • High‑resolution LRO data show ejecta and surface disturbance stretching more than 100 kilometers and a roughly 4‑mile‑wide cold spot around the crater indicating loosened regolith.
  • The LRO team found the crater months after it formed when image specialist Robert Wagner spotted a bright spot during routine map review and followed up with narrow‑angle images and thermal data.
  • Scientists say the discovery, paired with LRO studies that show the top ~2 cm of lunar soil is overturned about every 80,000 years, will be used to validate impact models and guide tracking, disposal and hardening measures for future lunar bases.