Lunar Impact Flash Captured on Moon's Night Side
On October 30, 2025, at 11:33 UTC (20:33 JST), a bright impact flash was recorded on the night side of the first-quarter Moon. The flash occurred east of the Gassendi crater, located at latitude –16° and longitude 324°.
Observation Details
The event was captured by Daichi Fujii, astronomy curator at the Hiratsuka City Museum in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. The flash was recorded with a camera running at 270 frames per second and later analyzed by replaying the footage at 0.03x speed.
Fujii stated, "The flash site lies east of Gassendi crater (latitude –16°, longitude 324°)."
Flash Characteristics and Meteor Parameters
- The transient light reached a brightness of magnitude 8 and lasted about 0.1 seconds.
- Assuming the meteoroid was part of the Taurid meteor complex near its peak activity, the impact velocity was estimated at 27 km/s (16.8 mph).
- The entry angle was calculated at 35° with a mass of roughly 0.2 kg (0.44 lb).
- The resulting crater diameter is estimated to be approximately 3 meters (10 feet).
Scientific Importance
Lunar impact flashes occur when meteoroids collide with the Moon’s airless surface at extremely high speeds, converting kinetic energy into brief flashes of visible light. These observations help scientists monitor meteoroid flux over time and analyze impact energy statistics.
Previous Observations
Daichi Fujii has documented numerous confirmed lunar impact flashes, including a rare double impact event on December 8, 2024, which was later confirmed by other astronomers.
"Fujii has previously documented multiple confirmed lunar flashes, including a rare double impact event on December 8, 2024, verified by other observers."
Author’s Summary: The October 2025 lunar impact flash, observed by Daichi Fujii east of Gassendi crater, highlights ongoing monitoring of meteoroid impacts and enriches understanding of lunar surface events.
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