Japanese Astronomer Captures Meteorite Smashing Into The Moon

A Japanese astronomer has caught a meteorite crashing into the moon by using cameras to monitor the moon. Daichi Fujii, the curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum recorded a brief flash on the moon.

According to Space.com, the time of the flash was 20:14:30.8 Japan Standard Time on February 23. Fujii said the meteorite appears to have struck near Ideler L crater, slightly northwest of Pitiscus crater.

In a tweet, Fujii wrote, “I was able to catch the biggest lunar impact flash in my observation history! This is a picture of the lunar impact flash that appeared at 20:14:30.8 on February 23, 2023, taken from my home in Hiratsuka (replayed at actual speed). It was a huge flash that continued to shine for more than 1 second. Since the moon has no atmosphere, meteors and fireballs cannot be seen, and the moment a crater is formed, it glows.”

Check out the video:

私の観測史上最大の月面衝突閃光を捉えることができました！2023年2月23日20時14分30.8秒に出現した月面衝突閃光を、平塚の自宅から撮影した様子です（実際の速度で再生）。なんと1秒以上も光り続ける巨大閃光でした。月は大気がないため流星や火球は見られず、クレーターができる瞬間に光ります。 pic.twitter.com/Bi2JhQa9Q0

— 藤井大地 (@dfuji1) February 24, 2023

Meteorites can generate immense heat and create craters due to their high velocity. It travels on average at around 30,000 mph or 8.3 miles per second.

According to Space.com, the newly created crater could be around a dozen meters (39 feet) in diameter and may eventually be imaged by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter or India’s Chandrayaan 2 lunar probe.