Flashes on the Moon visible from Earth were recorded by an amateur astronomer in Japan. The impacts, observed on Thursday (30th) and Saturday (1st), occurred at speeds that could have reached 96,560 km/h, releasing energy equivalent to conventional explosives.
The phenomenon was caused by two asteroids that collided with the lunar surface. The detections were carried out by Daichi Fujii, curator at the Hiratsuka City Museum, which maintains an automated system of telescopes to monitor the Moon. “I want the public to appreciate science,” Fujii told The New York Times, who has documented about 60 lunar impacts since 2011.
The first flash was recorded east of the Gassendi crater, 112 km in diameter, while the second occurred west of the Oceanus Procellarum (“Ocean of Storms”), a vast volcanic plain. Confirmation of the events as real impacts was reinforced by simultaneous observation through multiple telescopes in Japan, ruling out the possibility of cosmic ray interference.
“These impact flashes look real,” said Juan Luis Cano, an engineer at the European Space Agency’s Near-Earth Object Coordination Center, to the American website. “Both appear to be a little above average in terms of flash size.”
How important are these impacts on the Moon?
These records allow astronomers to refine estimates about the frequency of asteroid impacts on the Moon, crucial information for assessing similar risks on Earth. Fujii suggests that the objects may have originated from the Taurid meteor shower, associated with Comet Encke, known to include larger fragments.
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Continuous monitoring gains additional relevance in the context of plans by space agencies and private companies to establish permanent lunar bases. “Understanding the frequency and energy of impact flashes can guide the design and operation of lunar bases,” highlighted Fujii.
NASA has not commented on the incidents due to the suspension of activities due to lack of funding, although the planetary defense observatories funded by the agency are still operating. ESA was unable to record the phenomenon due to the light in Europe during the impacts.
The events reinforce the notion of the Moon as a dynamic celestial body subject to constant bombardment, serving both as a natural laboratory for studying impacts and as a warning about the challenges of human expansion in space.