NASA Scientist Discovers Record-Breaking Moon Crater - Time News

TimeSaturday, September 19, 20262h agoWIRE COPY

A NASA scientist identified the largest newly formed lunar impact crater ever documented, a 728-foot-wide hole named McGetchin created by a comet or asteroid between April 11 and May 22, 2024, revealed through before-and-after Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images. The discovery, still under analysis for exact object size and composition, highlights the Moon’s dynamic surface and offers a prime site for future missions to study impact processes and terrain variation.

# NASA Scientist Discovers Record-Breaking Moon Crater - Time News Published: 2026-09-19T03:43:39+03:00 Source: time.news (time.news) Language: en ## Story NASA Scientist Discovers Record-Breaking Moon Crater - Time News # NASA Scientist Discovers Record-Breaking Moon Crater September 19, 2026 3:43 am Tech September 19, 2026 A NASA scientist discovered the largest newly formed impact crater ever documented in the solar system, a 728-foot-wide crater on the Moon formed between April 11 and May 22, 2024, by a comet or asteroid impact. Named McGetchin after lunar scientist Tom McGetchin, the crater’s discovery during a routine data check highlights the Moon’s dynamic surface and the value of long-term orbital observation. The impact, which occurred between April 11 and May 22, 2024, left a 728-foot-wide (222-meter) crater that spans two football fields and reaches 141 feet (43 meters) deep—deep enough to fit three yellow school buses stacked vertically. ## The Discovery During a Routine Check Robert Wagner, a scientist with NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), stumbled on the crater during a routine data-quality check. I just stopped, dropped everything, and started looking into what that spot was, Wagner said, describing how a bright patch surrounded by a dark halo caught his attention. The crater, later named McGetchin in honor of pioneering lunar scientist Tom McGetchin, was identified through before-and-after images captured by the LRO. These images, taken years apart, revealed a dramatic transformation in the lunar surface. This event constitutes a s…

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Fascinating scientific discovery of a record-breaking lunar crater with a clear, memorable name.

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name: McGetchin Crater
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description: A NASA scientist discovered a record-breaking 728-foot-wide lunar crater named McGetchin, reported by Time.

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