The moon briefly lit up twice last week. Space rocks slammed into its surface, causing bright flashes. The events were spotted by Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii. He leads observations at the Hiratsuka City Museum. His cameras captured both impacts in real time. He later shared the clips on social media platform X.
Were the lunar flashes linked to meteor showers?
The flashes coincided with the Taurid meteor activity window. The Southern Taurids peak around 5 November this year. The Northern Taurids follow a few days later. The timing suggests a possible connection, Fujii said. But a confirmed link has not yet been established.
When and where did the impacts take place?
The first collision appeared on 30 October at 8.30 pm JST. That is 6.30 am EST and 11.30 GMT. It appeared near the east side of Gassendi Crater. Fujii calculated the object moved at 27 km per second. The rock hit the surface at a 35-degree angle. It likely weighed 0.2 kilograms or 0.4 pounds. The flash lasted only a tenth of a second. It may have formed a crater about three metres wide.
The second impact was detected on 1 November at 8.49 pm JST. That is 6.49 am EDT and 11.49 GMT. This flash appeared west of Oceanus Procellarum. It is one of the moon’s largest dark plains.
"The pixels were saturated, so the flash may be brighter," Fujii told Space.com. He said the camera limits may have reduced brightness data.
How often are lunar impacts recorded?
Fujii began tracking moon flashes more than a decade ago. He started initial observations in 2011, he explained. He has been recording them continuously since 2020. A 20cm telescope helps him track these brief events. He usually spots one flash every few dozen hours. Thin clouds and short lunar visibility limit observation windows. He manages to record only dozens per year. His total count of documented flashes now stands at 60.
Why do lunar impacts look more intense than Earth’s?
The moon has almost no atmosphere to slow space rocks. Meteor impacts happen at 20 to 72 km per second. That equals speeds up to 160,000 miles per hour. The collisions release sudden bursts of light and heat. Even small rocks can create wide craters. NASA data shows a 5-kilogram rock can carve 9-metre craters. Such impacts may eject over 75 tonnes of lunar soil.
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