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NASA finds largest new lunar crater: 222 meters wide from 2024 impact
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified the largest newly formed impact crater on the Moon, measuring 222 meters across and formed by an asteroid or comet strike in spring 2024. Named after scientist Thomas McGetchin, the crater is three times larger than the previous record and represents a statistically rare event occurring roughly once every 130 years.
Quick Facts
- Detection of the largest newly formed impact crater on the Moon
- Asteroid or comet fragment impact
- Ejected material dispersed over 100 kilometers
- Formation of four-kilometer cold zone around crater
- NASA
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has detected the largest newly formed impact crater on the Moon, measuring 222 meters in diameter and approximately 42–43 meters deep. The crater formed in spring 2024 when an asteroid or comet fragment—estimated to be the size of a 3–6 story building—struck the lunar surface. The impact was not observed in real time by ground-based telescopes; LRO first recorded surface changes between April and May 2024, and the crater was formally identified in August 2025.
The crater has been named McGetchin, in honor of Thomas McGetchin, former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston. It is approximately three times larger than the previous record holder, a crater detected by LRO a decade earlier. According to researchers, impact events of this magnitude occur statistically about once every 130–132 years, making this discovery a rare observation.
Analysis reveals that ejected lunar material dispersed over 100 kilometers from the impact site, with a wider scatter angle than previously expected. A four-kilometer "cold zone" of loosened regolith (lunar soil) surrounds the crater, indicating subsurface disruption. NASA notes that the upper layer of lunar soil is completely overturned approximately every 80,000 years—faster than earlier estimates suggested.
The findings, published in *Science Advances*, have implications for future lunar exploration. NASA plans to use the new data to assess risks for constructing a permanent lunar base, including the hazard posed by ejected material to infrastructure. The LRO, in orbit since 2009, continues to monitor the Moon's surface in preparation for upcoming human missions.
Why This Matters
The discovery of a 222-meter lunar impact crater—three times larger than previously recorded—provides empirical data on rare high-energy impact frequencies (approximately once per 130 years). This information directly affects NASA's planning for permanent lunar base infrastructure, including assessment of ejected material hazards and subsurface stability. The findings also refine models of lunar regolith turnover rates, impacting estimates for dating surface samples and assessing radiation exposure during human missions.
Timeline & Sources
Jan 1, 2009
WireLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter enters lunar orbit and begins surface monitoring
Sep 17, 2026
WireNASA announcement of discovery; findings published in Science Advances