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Meteors Strike Moon in Dramatic Displays Captured by japanese Astronomer
A pair of radiant meteor impacts were recorded on the moon on Thursday, October 30, and Saturday, November 1, by Daichi Fujii, curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum and a dedicated lunar observer. These fleeting flashes of light, visible from Earth for mere fractions of a second, were the result of space rocks colliding with the lunar surface at tremendous speeds, creating brief but brilliant explosions.
The events coincide with the peak of the southern Taurid meteor shower, approaching around November 5, followed by the Northern taurids on November 9. These showers are already producing visible meteors in Earth’s skies, and now, apparently, on the moon as well.Fujii documented the impacts using specialized cameras focused on the moon’s dark side, sharing the footage on his X account.
The first impact occurred at 8:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time (6:30 a.m. EST or 1130 GMT) on October 30, while the second took place at 8:49 p.m. Japan Standard Time (6:49 a.m. EDT or 1149 GMT) on November 1.
According to Fujii’s analysis, the October 30 flash originated east of the Gassendi Crater. Calculations suggest the impacting object was likely part of the Taurid meteor stream, striking the moon at a velocity of 27 kilometers per second (60,000 mph) at an angle of 35 degrees. The meteoroid is estimated to have had a mass of approximately 0.2 kilograms (0.4 pounds), excavating a crater roughly 3 meters (10 feet) in diameter and producing a flash lasting just 0.1 seconds. “The pixels were saturated, so it’s possible the flash was even brighter than the recorded data suggests,” Fujii told Space.com.
The second flash, observed on November 1, appeared west of Oceanus Procellarum, one of the largest lunar maria – expansive, dark plains formed by ancient volcanic eruptions. While confirmation is pending, Fujii notes the timing aligns with the increased activity of the taurid showers, suggesting a possible connection. This latest observation adds to Fujii’s growing catalogue of lunar impact events, establishing him as a leading figure in this specialized field of astronomical study.
Fujii began observing lunar impact flashes around 2011, but has been continuously recording them as 2020. Using a 20cm telescope,he typically detects one impact flash every few dozen hours of observation. However,the brief visibility of the crescent moon,often obscured by low-lying clouds,limits his observations to only a few dozen flashes per year. To date, Fujii has documented a total of 60 such events.
The moon’s lack of a substantial atmosphere distinguishes it dramatically from Earth. Our planet is protected by a thick atmospheric layer that burns up most incoming meteors before they reach the surface. In contrast, the moon’s near-vacuum environment offers no such protection, allowing meteors to crash into its surface at speeds ranging from 20 to 72 kilometers per second (45,000 to 160,000 mph). These high-velocity impacts release immense energy, creating bright flashes and excavating craters.
Even relatively small meteoroids can create significant damage. NASA data indicates that a rock weighing just 5 kilograms (11 pounds) can create a crater exceeding 9 meters (30 feet) in width and eject over 75 metric tons of lunar soil and rock. These frequent, though often unseen, impacts continue to
