A recently discovered crater on the moon, larger than the Roman Colosseum, resulted from a powerful impact two years ago that went unnoticed initially. The crater, with steep sides measuring 222 meters across and up to 43 meters deep, is the largest known impact crater in the solar system created in recent times.
Researchers estimate such significant events occur only once every 132 years, making this discovery valuable as NASA plans to establish a base for astronauts on the moon. The scientists described this event as a statistically rare observation in a study published in the journal Science Advances.
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) identified the crater on the moon’s near side in May 2024, shortly after it was formed by an asteroid or comet fragment. The impact went undetected by telescopes on Earth and in space.
The LRO’s wide-angle images were only recognized in August 2025 among the data. Detailed pictures were captured later, confirming the discovery earlier this year.
The crater is named after Thomas McGetchin, a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute.
Resembling Gardening
The moon, marked with ancient impact craters, hosts some of the largest in the solar system, including one spanning over 2,400 kilometers. The recent impact altered over 100 kilometers of lunar surface, ejecting dust and rocky soil at unexpected angles.
Mark Robinson, the chief scientist for LRO’s cameras at Intuitive Machines and lead author of one of the studies, noted the unexpected soil churning. A separate study revealed a seven-kilometer cold zone around the crater, indicating loosened moon topsoil.
David Paige of the University of California, Los Angeles, compared this phenomenon to gardening, where impacts disturb the regolith, the loose material above bedrock.
The LRO’s findings since 2009 indicate that the moon’s top two centimeters of soil are overturned by ejected material every 80,000 years, a faster rate than previously thought. Robinson mentioned that the iconic Apollo moonwalkers’ footprints will not endure forever but will fade over time.
The next phase involves assessing the risk of ejected crater material hitting NASA’s planned moon base to ensure structural resilience against potential damages.
This information will aid engineers in fortifying structures and minimizing concerns regarding potential impacts.
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