A Japanese astronomer has captured rare footage of a meteorite crashing into the moon
Moon © pixabay.com
The moon is constantly bombarded by meteorites, but it is practically impossible to observe this phenomenon from Earth. Most objects in space are too small and dark to be seen as they approach our satellite.
However, astronomer Daichi Fujii from Japan managed to capture a bright flash - the moment the meteorite hit the moon.
私の観測史上最大の月面衝突閃光を捉えることができました！2023年2月23日20時14分30.8秒に出現した月面衝突閃光を、平塚の自宅から撮影した様子です（実際の速度で再生）。なんと1秒以上も光り続ける巨大閃光でした。月は大気がないため流星や火球は見られず、クレーターができる瞬間に光ります。 pic.twitter.com/Bi2JhQa9Q0
— 藤井大地 (@dfuji1) February 24, 2023
"I was able to capture the biggest lunar impact flash in my observation history! " Fujii wrote on Twitter. According to the astronomer, the flash was visible for about an hour.
It should be noted that meteorites also occasionally fall to Earth. For example, at the beginning of 2023, an international group of researchers discovered one of the largest meteorites on the continent during an expedition to Antarctica. Its size is comparable to a watermelon, and it weighs 7.7 kg.
Scientists say that meteorites fall to Earth uniformly, and Antarctica is not a unique region in this regard. However, the pure white ice covering the continent allows for easy observation.
