NASA spacecraft finds large new lunar crater

Scientists have identified a previously undetected lunar crater that measures more than twice the diameter of the Roman Colosseum, indicating an impact event that occurred about two years ago. The crater, located in the Mare Tranquillitatis region, was revealed through a combination of high‑resolution imagery from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and seismic data recorded by the recently deployed seismometer array.

The impact that created the crater released an estimated energy equivalent to several hundred megatons of TNT, far exceeding the scale of most known lunar impacts in the past decade. Despite its size, the event went unnoticed until the new instrumentation detected subtle ground‑motion signatures and the crater’s distinctive morphology. Researchers are now analyzing the composition of the ejecta blanket to better understand the Moon’s geological history and the frequency of such powerful collisions.

The discovery underscores the importance of continuous monitoring of the lunar surface, as even relatively recent events can remain hidden without advanced detection capabilities. Further study of this crater will provide insights into the Moon’s impact record and help refine models of planetary surface evolution.