The moon seems to have a new crater after a rocket body collided with its surface on March 4. New images shared by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which has been circling the moon since 2009, have revealed the location of the unusual crater, said the CNN.
The impact is said to have created two overlapping craters – A crater in the east crater measuring 59 feet (18 meters) across and a western crater spanning 52.5 feet (16 meters). The depression they create together is around 91.8 feet (28 meters).
According to CNN, although astronomers expected the impact after discovering that the rocket part was on track to collide with the moon, the double crater it created was a surprise.
According to NASA, the double crater was unexpected and may indicate that the rocket body had large masses at each end. Typically, a spent rocket has mass concentrated at the motor end; the rest of the rocket stage mainly consists of an empty fuel tank. Since the origin of the rocket body remains uncertain, the double nature of the crater may indicate its identity.
The exact origin of the celestial body or space junk that created the crater is unclear. Yet, the massive double crater could help scientists determine what slammed into the moon. The moon has no protective atmosphere; hence it’s covered with craters which are made when space objects like asteroids regularly slam into its surface.
Independent researcher Bill Gray first spotted the trajectory of the rocket booster. Gray focusses on orbital dynamics and develops astronomical software. He initially identified it as SpaceX Falcon rocket stage that launched the US Deep Space Climate Observatory, or DSCOVR, in 2015. Gray later said he was mistaken and that the rocket mass was likely from a Chinese moon mission launched in 2014.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied that the booster is part of its Chang’e-5 moon mission. It clarified that the rocket in question burned up on re-entry to Earth’s atmosphere.
