Did you know that around 17,000 meteorites fall to Earth every year? Most of the time, we either don’t notice them or they don’t make it to the ground. When they do, however, it can be pretty spectacular. That said, it’s even rarer for us to capture the moment an asteroid enters the Moon’s atmosphere. But according to NASA, a large asteroid that seemed to be heading toward Earth now has a greater chance of hitting the Moon.
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That said, a video is circulating that claims something similar has already happened. Uploaded by the DailyMail, this video is said to show the moment an asteroid hits the surface of the Moon. See it for yourself below!
@dailymail This was the astonishing moment an asteroid collided with the moon 🤯 #astronomy #space #asteroid #moon ♬ original sound – Daily Mail
In the nearly 24 hours since this video was posted, no reputable sources have confirmed that this rare event actually did take place. So, we can’t say whether it is real. That said, this video does highlight the rarity of an asteroid sighting like this one. Plus, NASA has confirmed there’s a very real chance of this happening on December 22, 2032.
NASA Says That an Observable Asteroid May Hit the Moon in 2032… but Did it Already Happen?
According to NASA, this asteroid was first observed in December 2024. It’s notably large — roughly the size of a 10-story building. The chances of it hitting the Moon went from 1.7% to 3.8%, more than doubling the possibility.
If an asteroid is observed to hit the Moon (or if it already has), this would provide scientists the rare chance to observe the way the Moon responds to a collision.
“Telescopes would certainly see it, and binoculars might,” Professor Mark Burchell of the University of Kent says, adding that observing this moment would be “a great experiment and a perfect opportunity.”
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here!
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