00:00NASA has revealed a rare new crater on the moon.
00:02The crater, named Magetchen, formed sometime in 2024.
00:07Scientists say a comet or asteroid caused the massive impact.
00:10The incoming object may have been three to six stories tall.
00:14The collision carved a crater about 728 feet wide.
00:18It also reached roughly 141 feet deep.
00:21Researchers estimate impacts this large happen only about once a century.
00:25NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter helped scientists spot the change.
00:30A bright debris pattern appeared in images of the lunar surface.
00:34Scientists compared newer images with older maps of the moon.
00:37Sharper camera images then revealed the crater in greater detail.
00:41Researchers also found a four-mile-wide cold region around it.
00:45At night, that area was about 16 degrees Fahrenheit colder.
00:49The impact loosened lunar dust and rock, called regolith.
00:52That changed how the surface holds and releases heat.
00:55The discovery shows that the moon is still an actively changing world.
00:59It could also provide useful information for future lunar missions.
01:03Disclosure.
01:04This video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
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