Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii has captured two meteors slamming into the moon, visible from Earth for just a split second. The flashes, caused by space rocks striking the lunar surface at high speed, were recorded on Thursday (Oct. 30) and Saturday (Nov. 1) using cameras aimed at the moon's nightside. The first collision occurred at 8:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time (6:30 a.m. EST or 1130 GMT) on Oct. 30, while the second happened at 8:49 p.m. Japan Standard Time (6:49 a.m. EDT or 1149 GMT) on Nov. 1. According to Fujii, the Oct. 30 flash appeared east of the Gassendi Crater, likely part of the Taurid meteor stream, striking the moon at a velocity of 27 km/s (60,000 mph) and an angle of 35 degrees. The meteoroid's estimated mass was 0.4 pounds (0.2 kilograms), excavating a crater about 10 feet (3 meters) wide and producing a flash lasting just 0.1 seconds. The second flash, on Nov. 1, appeared west of Oceanus Procellarum, one of the moon's largest lunar maria. While it's not yet confirmed whether these impacts originated from the Taurids or were simply sporadic meteors, Fujii notes the timing aligns with the showers' period of increased activity. This marks the latest in a series of lunar impact observations by Fujii, who has become one of the leading recorders of such events. Unlike Earth, which is shielded by a thick atmosphere that vaporizes most meteors before they reach the ground, the moon's virtually non-existent atmosphere means there is nothing to slow down incoming meteors, sending them crashing into its surface at speeds of 45,000 to 160,000 mph (20 to 72 km/s) — releasing powerful bursts of light and heat on impact. Such impacts can excavate craters tens of feet across, even from meteoroids weighing just a few pounds. For example, a rock just 11 pounds (5 kilograms) in mass can gouge a crater more than 30 feet (9 meters) wide and eject over 75 metric tons of lunar soil and rock, according to NASA. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com.
