A routine review of NASA lunar data has yielded a significant discovery: a massive, recently formed crater that was not present in previous observations. Robert Wagner, an image-processing specialist from Intuitive Machines working with the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), detected the anomaly while examining a broad map of the Moon. He observed a distinct bright patch encircled by a dark halo, a signature indicating that surface material had been recently disturbed.
“I just stopped, dropped everything, and started looking into what that spot was,” Wagner recalled. Upon comparing older and newer imagery of the region, he confirmed the feature was a new impact site. In a paper published September 16 in the journal Science Advances, scientists reported that this feature, named McGetchin, is the largest newly formed crater ever recorded in the solar system.
The crater formed between April 11 and May 22, 2024, near the Moon’s eastern limb. Researchers estimate it was created by an asteroid or comet approximately the size of a three- to six-story building. The resulting impact excavated a depression 728 feet wide—comparable to two football fields—and 141 feet deep, a volume sufficient to stack three yellow school buses vertically. Scientists estimate that impacts of this magnitude occur on the Moon roughly once per century or less frequently.
McGetchin honors pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin. The discovery highlights the value of NASA’s long-term lunar monitoring as the agency prepares for sustained human presence and increased commercial activity on the Moon. For over 17 years, the LRO has circled the satellite, utilizing seven instruments to analyze the landscape, composition, temperature, and radiation environment.
During its mission, LRO researchers have identified at least 1,000 new impact craters and documented approximately 100,000 other surface changes caused by impacts or ejected debris. Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks an atmosphere to burn up or slow incoming space rocks, leaving its surface exposed to direct strikes from asteroids and meteoroids.
While most impacts are smaller, scientists can reliably detect craters as small as 30 feet across using LRO images. These minor features are typically created by objects about 43 inches wide, similar to a monster-truck tire. Such impacts generate an estimated 140 new craters annually, though microscopic objects create even more frequent but invisible effects.
Beyond visual changes, the LRO’s Diviner thermal instrument revealed a surprising anomaly around the McGetchin site. Data showed that an area roughly four miles in diameter surrounding the crater is approximately 16 degrees Fahrenheit colder at night compared to adjacent terrain. A companion paper, also published September 16 in Science Advances, attributes this cold spot to alterations in the lunar regolith. The impact churned and loosened surface material, reducing its density and its ability to retain heat after sunset.
This finding suggests that major impacts can modify the lunar surface well beyond the immediate crater boundary. Such changes in regolith texture and density could have practical implications for future exploration, potentially affecting rover mobility.
The discovery process involved the LROC system, which photographs the Moon from an altitude of about 60 miles. The system includes cameras that capture detailed black-and-white imagery and multispectral data. While routine inspections focus on changes smaller than 30 feet, broader searches conducted every few years look for features wider than 150 feet.
Wagner was performing this wider search on October 24, 2025, when he utilized software to combine hundreds of “before” and “after” images from the Wide-Angle Camera. In these difference maps, static areas appear gray, while changes show up as bright or dark patches. Because lighting variations can produce false signals, researchers manually verify findings by looking for small, fuzzy halos around bright points, which indicate spray patterns from fresh impacts.
McGetchin, however, was unmistakable. Its debris pattern spanned hundreds of pixels, far exceeding typical small features. “It was by far the most obvious impact debris pattern I’ve ever seen in one of these images,” Wagner said. Subsequent close-up observations with the Narrow-Angle Camera, which captures details at roughly 3 feet per pixel, allowed scientists to measure the crater’s dimensions and estimate the energy of the impacting object. Further details regarding the impactor are expected in a forthcoming publication.
They compared the volume to three school buses. I pictured a single bus. Now I’m just confused about my geometry skills.
A century frequency for the Moon, but our atmosphere handles what hits us. Still, worth watching closely as we build there.
Seventy-eight feet deep is terrifying. Glad we aren’t sharing a neighborhood with these things on Earth.