Astronomers Capture Rare Lunar Meteor Strike

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This artistacutes rendering of a small but powerful meteor strike on the surface of the moon demonstrates a key concern for future lunar explorers -- mitigating potential risks from impact quotejectaquot or the spray of debris that follows an impact ...
This artist's rendering of a small but powerful meteor strike on the surface of the moon demonstrates a key concern for future lunar explorers -- mitigating potential risks from impact "ejecta," or the spray of debris that follows an impact, unimpeded by gravity or atmosphere. NASA astronomers are studying lunar impacts to help safeguard future missions to Earth's nearest celestial neighbor. (NASA/MSFC)

Astronomers at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., have recorded a small but powerful meteoroid strike in the night on the moon’s surface. On Nov. 7, using a 10-inch-diameter telescope, astronomers recorded a tiny blip northwest of Mare Imbrium, the moon's "Sea of Showers." Such impacts are not uncommon, but it was only in 1999 that scientists first recorded a lunar strike as it happened.


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