European Southern Observatory observed signs of Falcon 9 rocket debris hitting the moon

Xinhua News Agency, Los Angeles, August 6 (Reporter Gao Shan) The European Southern Observatory said that its Very Large Telescope in Chile observed signs that the remains of an abandoned "Falcon 9" rocket of the US Space Exploration Technology Corporation hit the moon in the early morning of the 5th Eastern Time.

According to Reuters, the impact occurred at around 2:35 U.S. Eastern Time on the 5th (14:35 Beijing time on the 5th). The few spacecraft orbiting the moon at that time were unable to capture close-up images of the impact, but the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope captured the faint light trace produced by the impact.

A spokesman for the European Southern Observatory told Reuters: "We can confirm that the telescope detected spectral lines of sodium and lithium gas in the impact plume for approximately 5 to 10 minutes after the impact."

The Associated Press quoted Boston University astronomer Carl Schmidt as saying that he was "100% sure" that his team had observed signs of an impact. "We don't have images of the impact, but we have telescopic evidence."

The wreckage of the Falcon 9 rocket weighs about 3,900 kilograms and is expected to hit the lunar surface at a speed of about 8,700 kilometers per hour. NASA predicts that the debris will form an impact crater about 18 meters in diameter and 3.7 meters deep on the lunar surface.

NASA posted on its website on the 4th that the expected impact site is near the Einstein Crater and Bell Crater on the moon. The impact does not pose any danger to Earth. The agency said the debris came from a lunar lander launch mission on January 15, 2025. Under the influence of solar activity and gravity, the second stage of the rocket unexpectedly flew towards the moon. NASA explained that because the moon has no atmosphere to slow down incoming objects, its surface is hit by meteoroids every day, but it is rare for man-made objects to hit the moon.

NASA said that the impact could not be seen with the naked eye from the Earth. The agency will try to use ground-based telescopes and the "Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter" to take pictures. It may take several days to obtain image data.