NASA said Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter images revealed McGetchin crater. The Independent put the hole at about 222 metres across and 43 metres deep. New Scientist wrote that dust and rock were thrown more than 120 kilometres from the crater.
NASA wrote that Robert Wagner, working with Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera data, found an unusually large bright spot by comparing before and after images. The crater is named for lunar scientist Tom McGetchin and formed on the Moon’s eastern near side. NASA said a crater this large is expected about once a century. LRO has been mapping the Moon for more than 17 years; Wagner saw the spot during that scan.[1], [2]
The Independent wrote that the steep-sided hole is about 728 feet (222 metres) across and up to 141 feet (43 metres) deep. NASA’s orbiter spotted the crater on the Moon’s near side in May 2024. The report said it is three times bigger than the previous largest fresh crater found during the mission. The Independent wrote that the crater is named for a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute.[2], [3]
New Scientist wrote that McGetchin is about 222 metres across and that an impact this large is expected about once every 132 years. A team led by Mark Robinson at Intuitive Machines found dust and rock thrown more than 120 kilometres from the crater. The 2024 impact’s public account was published on 16 September 2026.[1], [3]
