Biggest Explosion Yet on the Moon: Meteorite Collision Impacts Lunar Surface (Video)

NASA scientists have recorded the biggest explosion yet on the moon from a meteorite impact. The findings come after eight years of monitoring the lunar surface for just these types of collisions.

After monitoring the lunar surface for almost a decade, researchers have noticed something unusual about these impacts: they're far more common than anyone expected. Hundreds of detectable collisions happen every year.

This latest collision actually occurred on March 17 when an object the size of a small boulder barreled into the moon. It smashed into a section of the celestial body known as Mare Imbrium, and produced a flash that was ten times as bright as anything that had ever been seen before. In fact, it was so bright that the impact could be seen with the naked eye as, for once second, it glowed like a fourth magnitude star.

Why is NASA actually monitoring these impacts? The U.S. Space Exploration Policy actually calls for extended astronaut stays on the lunar surface. Needless to say, it's important to learn exactly how often meteorite collisions occur in order to make stays on the moon safe. Researchers will have to design spacecraft, vehicles and habitats that can all withstand the harsh environment found on the lunar surface.

Yet it's not only important for potential lunar missions. On average, 73,000 pounds of meteoroids hit Earth every single day. The vast majority of these missiles burn up high in the atmosphere and never make it to the ground. Since the moon has no atmosphere, though, meteoroids aren't stopped. This makes the moon the perfect laboratory to examine how these impacts occur and what their effects are.

The massive explosion that scientists recently observed actually created a crater roughly 65 feet wide. In fact, scientists could image this impact zone by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter the next time it passes over the area, which will allow researchers to see a very fresh impact on the moon.

Want to see the impact for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of NASA.