NASA scientist Robert Wagner noticed a change on the moon's surface while looking at images taken by the orbiter's wide-angle camera in October 2025.
To be clear, the McGetchin crater isn't the largest crater on the moon.
The images you see above were taken by the LRO's narrow-angle camera after it flew over the impact site again in December 2025, a few months after Wagner spotted it.
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A team of scientists who has already studied it found there's a 4-mile-wide area in its surroundings that's about 16 degrees Fahrenheit cooler at night.
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It’s the largest modern-day crater in our solar system, NASA says.
NASA scientist Robert Wagner noticed a change on the moon's surface while looking at images taken by the orbiter's wide-angle camera in October 2025. After comparing before and after photos, he was able to confirm that there was indeed a new lunar crater, which was then officially named after scientist Tom McGetchin.
To be clear, the McGetchin crater isn't the largest crater on the moon. Most lunar impacts are small, and most of them are ancient. Based on scientists' estimates, an impact of this magnitude happens only once every 132 years or so.
The images you see above were taken by the LRO's narrow-angle camera after it flew over the impact site again in December 2025, a few months after Wagner spotted it.
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