How NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Uncovered the New McGetchin Crater

NASA scientist Robert Wagner noticed a bright spot on the Moon in 2025 while reviewing Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter data. The flash caught his eye during a standard data‑quality check, prompting immediate curiosity.

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been circling the Moon for more than 17 years. Its cameras continuously capture high‑resolution photographs, giving researchers reliable before‑and‑after images of the same terrain.

LRO’s onboard software flagged surface shifts, highlighting a bright spot surrounded by a dark halo that suggested a new impact crater. The contrast in the wide‑scale images was the first clue that something had changed.

Scientists verified the find by looking for small fuzzy halos around pixel‑wide bright points and by comparing the wide‑scale photos with close‑up images of the same area. This double‑check confirmed the presence of a fresh crater.

The feature, named the McGetchin crater, measures 222 metres across and 43 metres deep. Analysis of the image timeline shows the impact occurred between April 11 and May 22 2024.

NASA’s analysis detected a 6.5 km “cold spot” of cooler nighttime temperatures around the crater. The cooler area demonstrates how the impact loosened lunar regolith, reducing its ability to retain heat.

Understanding how bright‑spot detection, halo analysis, and thermal “cold spots” work gives researchers a repeatable method for spotting new lunar impacts, which is vital for future missions and for studying how the Moon’s surface evolves.

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