Current:Home > StocksA Russian spacecraft crashed on the moon last month. NASA says it's discovered where.-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
A Russian spacecraft crashed on the moon last month. NASA says it's discovered where.
View Date:2024-12-23 15:26:36
NASA has released images showing where it believes Russia's failed Luna-25 spacecraft crashed into the surface of the moon two weeks ago.
NASA said its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) operations team used estimates of the impact point published by Russia's space agency, Roscosmos, on Aug. 21, two days after the crash. The team then sent instructions to the LRO spacecraft to capture images of the area, which it did last week.
When the LRO team compared the new images to ones that were taken before the impact, in June 2022, they found a new crater.
MORE: New York to London in 90 minutes? NASA exploring passenger jet that could do it
"Since this new crater is close to the Luna-25 estimated impact point, the LRO team concludes it is likely to be from that mission, rather than a natural impactor," the agency wrote in a statement.
The new crater is nearly 33 feet wide and is located at about 58 degrees south latitude, on the southwest rim of the moon's Pontécoulant G impact crater, created millions of years ago, according to NASA.
The Luna-25 impact crater is a little more than 200 miles from where the spacecraft had planned to land, which was at near 70 degrees south latitude.
Russia launched the Luna-25 mission on Aug. 10 in an attempt to return to the moon for the first time since 1976 and intended to land in the lunar south polar region, an area that has been largely unexplored and is believed to contain frozen water. However, Russia's space agency lost contact with the spacecraft, and it crashed on Aug. 19 at 7:58 a.m. ET, two days before its scheduled landing.
Four days later, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon after its Chandrayaan-3 craft touched down in the south polar region, where it was scheduled to remain for two weeks, conducting experiments and gathering data.
MORE: NASA asks for help studying Uranus and Neptune as it prepares to capture new images
The moon is covered with impact craters from asteroids and comets striking the lunar surface, according to the Lunar Planetary Institute. Scientists measure the size and the number of craters in an area to determine their age, which can be as old as three billion years.
While Earth has had its share of impacts from space rocks, those craters are harder to recognize due to weather and the erosion of the Earth's surface. Because the moon lacks tectonic activity and flowing water, and its atmosphere is negligible, most lunar surface craters are still visible, the LPI said.
veryGood! (3)
Related
- Summer I Turned Pretty's Gavin Casalegno Marries Girlfriend Cheyanne Casalegno
- Carlton Pearson, founder of Oklahoma megachurch who supported gay rights, dies at age 70
- When landlords won't fix asthma triggers like mold, doctors call in the lawyers
- Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelers
- Stressing over Election Day? Try these apps and tools to calm your nerves
- 'Stamped From the Beginning' is a sharp look at the history of anti-Black racism
- 32 people killed during reported attacks in a disputed region of Africa
- North Carolina field hockey, under 23-year-old coach Erin Matson, wins historic NCAA title
- Democrat Ruben Gallego wins Arizona US Senate race against Republican Kari Lake
- Rosalynn Carter, outspoken former first lady, dead at 96
Ranking
- Week 10 fantasy football rankings: PPR, half-PPR and standard leagues
- When should kids specialize in a sport? Five tips to help you find the right moment
- Driving or flying before feasting? Here are some tips for Thanksgiving travelers
- F1 fans file class-action suit over being forced to exit Las Vegas Grand Prix, while some locals left frustrated
- Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
- Mariah Carey's Holiday Tour Merch Is All We Want for Christmas
- 'Saltburn' basks in excess and bleak comedy
- Carlton Pearson, founder of Oklahoma megachurch who supported gay rights, dies at age 70
Recommendation
-
Tua Tagovailoa playing with confidence as Miami Dolphins hope MNF win can spark run
-
More than 400,000 Afghans have returned home from Pakistan following crackdown on migrants
-
Georgia deputy who shot absolved man had prior firing for excessive force. Critics blame the sheriff
-
Who is playing in the Big 12 Championship game? A timeline of league's tiebreaker confusion
-
New Orleans marks with parade the 64th anniversary of 4 little girls integrating city schools
-
Kesha changes Sean 'Diddy' Combs reference in 'Tik Tok' lyric after Cassie's abuse lawsuit
-
Miscarriages, abortion and Thanksgiving – DeSantis, Haley and Ramaswamy talk family and faith at Iowa roundtable
-
New York Jets bench struggling quarterback Zach Wilson