NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has identified the largest impact crater formed in modern times across the entire solar system. A comet or asteroid, estimated to be three to six storeys tall, struck the lunar surface between April and May 2024, creating the crater that was later named McGetchin after scientist Tom McGetchin. The discovery is significant because impacts of this magnitude are exceptionally rare, occurring only once roughly every 132 years.

The McGetchin crater measures 728 feet in width and 141 feet in depth. Whilst it is not the moon's largest crater—that distinction belongs to the South Pole-Aitken Basin at 1,550 miles across—it represents the most substantial recent impact event. Scientists have observed that a 4-mile-wide region surrounding the crater is approximately 16 degrees Fahrenheit cooler at night due to the impact disturbing the moon's surface layer (regolith), reducing its density and heat retention capacity. These findings may influence how rover wheels interact with the lunar surface in future missions.