NASA Spacecraft Discovers Massive Impact Crater on Moon's Surface
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has detected a new crater measuring 222 meters in diameter and 43 meters deep, larger than the Roman Colosseum.
Scientists have announced the discovery of a new crater on the Moon, larger than the Roman Colosseum, resulting from a powerful impact that occurred two years ago. Measuring approximately 222 meters in diameter, this pit has been recorded as the largest known recent impact crater formed in the solar system.
Unexpected Large Impact on the Moon
Scientists have discovered a new crater on the Moon's surface resulting from a powerful impact that occurred two years ago and initially went unnoticed. With a diameter of approximately 222 meters and a depth of 43 meters, this steep-walled pit holds the distinction of being the largest known recently formed impact crater in the solar system. Experts state that an event of this scale occurs roughly once every 132 years.
Revealed Through Satellite Data
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter detected this crater, formed by an asteroid or comet impact in May 2024, on the near side of the Moon. The event, which could not be seen in real time by telescopes on Earth and in space, was only noticed among the orbiter's wide-angle image data in August 2025. The discovery was confirmed early this year thanks to detailed pictures gathered by the spacecraft last autumn.
A Rare Observation in the Scientific World
In studies published in the journal Science Advances, researchers described this situation as a statistically rare observation that happens once in a lifetime. Named after Thomas McGetchin, former director of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, the crater draws attention with dimensions three times larger than the previous record holder found by the LRO a decade ago.