The observation has sparked interest, especially given its possible connection to the annual Geminid meteor shower.
An astronomer in Japan recently documented a rare celestial event—a suspected meteor impact on the surface of the Moon. The observation has sparked interest, especially given its possible connection to the annual Geminid meteor shower.
The Geminids, which light up the December sky each year, have fascinated astronomers for nearly two centuries. Unlike most meteor showers that originate from icy comets, the Geminids come from an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon. This asteroid behaves somewhat like a comet, earning it unique classifications.
“The debris causing the Geminids originated from an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon. After astronomers discovered Phaethon in 1983, they realized the asteroid’s orbit matched that of the Geminid meteors. This pointed to Phaethon as the source of the annual meteor shower. Even though most meteor showers originate from comets, Phaethon was classified as a near Earth asteroid and not a comet,” Serena Whitfield explains in a recent NASA blog.
However, Phaethon’s behavior has raised questions. It exhibits comet-like activity when it approaches the Sun, producing a faint tail and brightening, as NASA’s STEREO spacecraft observed in 2009 and 2012. While some astronomers refer to it as a “rock-comet,” others prefer the term “active asteroid” due to its peculiar characteristics shared with other objects in the asteroid belt.
The Geminids peak annually between December 13 and 14, with activity stretching from December 4 to 20 this year. Typically, meteors burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, creating bright, fleeting streaks of light. Yet, as demonstrated in a new observation, some meteors collide with larger celestial bodies—like the Moon.
The Lunar Impact Captured in Stunning Detail
今夜はもう1つ月面衝突閃光がありました。2024年12月8日22時34分35秒に自宅から360fpsで撮影し(スロー再生)、複数台の望遠鏡で確認できました。連日明るい流星や火球が流れていますが、月面衝突閃光も続けて捉えられています。 pic.twitter.com/iHUq9EuXQg
— 藤井大地 (@dfuji1) December 8, 2024
On December 8, 2024, Daichi Fujii, an astronomer and curator at Japan’s Hiratsuka City Museum, captured a bright flash on the Moon’s surface—a sign of an impact. Filming at an impressive 360 frames per second, Fujii confirmed the phenomenon using multiple telescopes.
“There was another lunar impact flash tonight. I filmed it at 360fps from my home at 22:34:35 on December 8, 2024 (slow playback) and was able to confirm it with multiple telescopes,” Fujii shared on his X page (formerly Twitter).
This was not Fujii’s first encounter with such impacts. Over the previous nights, he documented several similar flashes. These events are incredibly rare and serve as a visual reminder of the ongoing activity in our Solar System.
Were the Geminids Responsible?
The timing of the flash has led to speculation that it may be linked to the Geminid meteor shower. However, experts caution that sporadic meteors—random meteoroids unrelated to specific showers—are more common.
“Given the position of the radiant, there is a possibility that these lunar impact flashes are associated with the Geminid meteor shower,” Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society explained to EarthSky. “However, since sporadic meteors still outnumber Geminids in ground-based meteor observations, they may be sporadic meteors.”
While the exact origin remains uncertain, the sight of a meteor striking the Moon is nothing short of spectacular. For those eager to see more, Daichi Fujii continues to share footage of meteors—both those impacting the Moon and those lighting up Earth’s atmosphere—on his X page.
