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NASA spacecraft discovers huge new crater on the moon

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Associated Press. (2026, September 17). NASA spacecraft discovers huge new crater on the moon. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/17/science/nasa-spacecraft-discovers-new-crater-on-the-moon/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-09-17 · by Associated Press

Quick Summary

Scientists using NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter discovered a massive new crater on the moon in May 2024, which is larger than the Roman Colosseum and estimated to occur only once every 132 years. The crater, named after Thomas McGetchin, measures about 728 feet across and up to 141 feet deep, making it three times bigger than a similar discovery from a decade ago. The impact also ejected dust and rocky soil over an area of more than 66 miles, challenging previous assumptions about how quickly the moon’s surface changes.
Written by AI on 2026-09-17, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) discovered a massive crater on the moon's near side, larger than the Roman Colosseum, measuring about 728 feet across and up to 141 feet deep, in May 2024. The impact that formed this crater was caused by an asteroid or comet fragment roughly the size of a three- to six-story building. This event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years, making it a rare opportunity for researchers studying lunar geology and future moon missions. The crater was initially missed by Earth-based telescopes but spotted later in data analysis, providing valuable insights into the moon's surface changes as NASA plans to establish a base there.

Written for “Moon Crater Discovery” on 2026-11-01, grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Moon Crater Discovery
Science · 5 article(s) covering the same event. Compare every outlet's account →

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 16% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
CBS News
Hedges 4 of 21 claims Outlet record 66/100
The Straits Times
Hedges 2 of 10 claims Outlet record 66/100
CBC News
Hedges 3 of 17 claims Outlet record 74/100
ABC News (AU)
Hedges 4 of 31 claims Outlet record 68/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
16%
3 of 19 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
5
Science
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-17 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15783 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Associated Press
605 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
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Wire or desk byline, not an individual reporter.
Also by Associated Press
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 605 articles by Associated Press →

Topics

Houston LRO Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter NASA Science Advances

Subjects

NASA ORG · 3× Robinson PERSON · 3× LRO ORG · 2× David Paige PERSON · 1× Houston ORG · 1× Intuitive Machines ORG · 1× Lunar and Planetary Institute ORG · 1× Mark Robinson PERSON · 1× Science Advances ORG · 1× Thomas McGetchin PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Co-author David Paige of the University of California, Los Angeles, likens it to gardening. “We’re now thinking of impacts as a way to garden the regolith — churning the sediments and putting stuff above that’s usually below the surface,” Paige said in a statement.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-17
🔮 NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted the crater on the moon’s near side in May 2024 soon after it was formed by an incoming fragment of an asteroid or comet.
2026-09-17 · New York Post
NASA spacecraft discovers huge new crater on the moon · assertive framing

Claims (19 extracted, 3 hedged)

Scientists have discovered a crater on the moon that’s bigger than the Roman Colosseum and is the result of a powerful impact two years ago that initially went undetected. asserted
that → discover → impact
The steep-sided hole — about 728 feet across and up to 141 feet deep — is the solar system’s biggest known impact crater carved out in recent times. asserted
hole → know → times
Such a large-scale event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years, researchers said, making this a treasure trove of information as NASA prepares to build a base for astronauts on the moon. asserted
NASA → estimate → moon
“This event constitutes a statistically rare, effectively once-in-a-lifetime observation,” the scientists wrote in one of two studies appearing on the subject Wednesday in the journal Science Advances. asserted
scientists → constitute → journal
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted the crater on the moon’s near side in May 2024 soon after it was formed by an incoming fragment of an asteroid or comet. uncertain
it → spot → asteroid
The moon strike escaped real-time detection by telescopes on Earth and in space. asserted
strike → escape → space
LRO’s wide-angle images were not identified in the crush of data until August 2025. asserted
images → identify → August
The spacecraft gathered more detailed pictures last fall, followed by confirmation of the discovery early this year. asserted
spacecraft → gather → discovery
The crater — named for the late Thomas McGetchin, a former director of Houston’s Lunar and Planetary Institute — is three times bigger than the previous record-holder found by the LRO a decade ago. asserted
crater → name → LRO
Pockmarked since ancient times, the moon bears some of the solar system’s largest impact craters, including one that stretches more than 1,500 miles across. asserted
that → bear → one
This latest impact churned the lunar surface for more than 66 miles. asserted
impact → churn → miles
Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. asserted
Report → start → news
Dust and rocky soil were hurled away at a higher angle than expected, according to Mark Robinson, chief scientist for the LRO’s cameras who works at Intuitive Machines. uncertain
who → hurl → Machines
A separate study identified a 4-mile-wide cold spot around the new crater, consistent with a loosening of the moon’s top soil. asserted
study → identify → soil
Co-author David Paige of the University of California, Los Angeles, likens it to gardening. “We’re now thinking of impacts as a way to garden the regolith — churning the sediments and putting stuff above that’s usually below the surface,” Paige said in a statement. asserted
Paige → liken → statement
The LRO’s numerous crater discoveries since its launch in 2009 show that the moon’s top inch of soil is being overturned by ejected material every 80,000 years, faster than previously thought, according to Robinson. uncertain
inch → show → Robinson
Contrary to the popular belief that the Apollo moonwalkers’ dusty lunar footprints will last forever, they will “definitely be long gone in that time frame,” Robinson said in an email. asserted
Robinson → last → email
The next step is to calculate the risk of ejected crater material striking NASA’s planned moon base, he added. asserted
he → calculate → base
“That information will help engineers harden structures so one won’t have to worry about damage, or maybe worry less.” asserted
one → help → damage
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