NASA has reported findings from a study of a fresh impact crater on the Moon. The agency says it is about 222 metres across and reaches 43 metres in depth. The crater has been named McGetchin.
Comparing images from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter placed its formation between April 11 and May 22, 2024. The new feature was spotted in the images later, on October 24, 2025, during a data quality check.
Researchers estimate that the impactor may have been an asteroid or comet the size of a three- to six-storey building. Impacts of this scale on the Moon are expected roughly once a century or less often.
The research was published in Science Advances. Images taken before and after the impact help researchers study how collisions reshape the lunar surface. The photograph shown here was captured by LRO’s camera on December 5, 2025.
