Watch the moment a meteor smashes into the surface of the Moon, producing a bright flash that was visible from Earth.
The Moon has been constantly bombarded with space debris for billions of years, resulting in its pockmarked and scarred surface. Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks the dynamic geological and atmospheric processes that constantly renew our planet’s surface, so its features remain largely unchanged over time. However, the Moon’s bombardment is far from over; in fact, it is ongoing. Every day, countless objects from space collide with the Moon at high velocities, resulting in craters, and intense heat.
These collisions can also produce a dazzling visible light flash that can be seen from Earth, but only if they are large enough and occur during lunar nighttime facing Earth. In short, while the Moon’s surface may seem ancient and unchanging, it is still undergoing constant transformation due to the never-ending rain of space debris.
Video of a meteor smashing into the Moon
2023年2月23日20時14分30.8秒の月面衝突閃光を、別の望遠鏡で捉えた様子です（実際の速度で再生）。このとき月の高度はわずか7度で、ぎりぎりまで粘ってよかったです。観測時のTLEで月面を通過する人工衛星はなく、光り方からも月面衝突閃光の可能性が高いです。 pic.twitter.com/GqG8CkYeRr
— 藤井大地 (@dfuji1) February 24, 2023
If you’re a space enthusiast, you won’t want to miss this breathtaking video of a meteorite colliding with the moon. A Japanese astronomer used cameras to track the moon and captured this rare event on video. Daichi Fujii, the curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum, recorded the mesmerizing moment for posterity. Daichi Fujii, a Japanese astronomer, captured the biggest lunar impact flash he had ever seen in his observation history.
He recorded a video of the lunar impact flash, which occurred on February 23, 2023, at 20:14:30.8 from his home in Hiratsuka. The flash continued to shine for more than a second and was captured in the video at actual speed. Fujii explained that since the moon has no atmosphere, meteors, and fireballs are not visible, but the moment a crater is formed, it glows.
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
In the vicinity of Ideler L crater
Moreover, the astronomer indicated that based on his observations, the lunar impact flash appears to have occurred in the vicinity of Ideler L crater, located slightly northwest of Pitiscus crater. According to space.com, When meteors collide with objects at high speeds, such as the moon, the impact generates intense heat, creates craters, and releases a dazzling visible light flash, according to space.com. On average, meteors travel at about 30,000 mph (48,280 kph), or 8.3 miles per second (13.4 km/s). Large enough moon impacts that occur in an area during lunar nighttime facing Earth can be observed from our planet.
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