A new 222-m diameter lunar crater

Observing the aftermath of recent impact events on the Moon tests models of impact frequency, surface change rates, and cratering physics. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC) Wide Angle Camera (WAC; 100-meter scale) images the whole Moon each month and has done so since 2010. Comparing images from two months under similar lighting conditions enables automated detection of surface changes. In fall 2025, a routine temporal comparison of WAC image sets revealed a new 222-meter-diameter crater that formed in spring 2024. This is the largest contemporary impact crater found in the Solar System and, according to current models, a once-in-132-year event. Later, a series of LROC Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images provided high-resolution (meter-scale) photometric and topographic information. These images show that the crater exposed complex geology, inform current models of cratering mechanics, and document widespread surface changes extending more than 1000 crater radii.