A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stage likely crashed into the Moon at high speed on August 5. Astronomers at the Al Khatm Astronomical Observatory in Abu Dhabi observed the event during the expected impact period. They did not detect any visible flash or cloud of debris after the collision.
Scientists had predicted that the impact would happen at 06:34:31 UTC on August 5. The observatory directed its main telescope toward the expected impact area one minute before the scheduled time. It continued recording images for five minutes after the expected collision. The observations showed no clear signs of a flash or material rising from the lunar surface.
The object that hit the Moon was the upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched on January 15, 2025. The rocket carried two lunar landers, the US-built Blue Ghost and Japan’s Hakuto-R, on their journey toward the Moon. After releasing the spacecraft, the rocket stage moved into a long, stretched orbit around Earth. Its movement was later affected by the gravity of Earth and the Moon, along with pressure from sunlight.
Scientists had said before the impact that it was unclear whether the event would be visible from Earth. Their models suggested three possible outcomes, a short flash, a cloud of dust and rocks from the lunar surface, or no visible change at all. Researchers considered the last possibility as the most likely result.
Observing the event was also difficult at the Al Khatm Observatory. The impact happened at 10.35 am local time, when the Moon was only 16 degrees above the horizon. Daylight conditions and movement in the atmosphere affected the image quality, making it harder to spot any small signs of the collision.
Researchers estimated the impact could throw up about 450 cubic metres of lunar soil and rock, or nearly 1,100 metric tons of material. The estimate was based on an average lunar soil density of 2.5 grams per cubic centimetre.
The Moon's weak gravity was expected to send the debris about 3 kilometres above the surface before it fell back around a minute later. Scientists also said some rocks could travel much faster, stay in the air for up to three minutes and rise much higher, giving telescopes a better chance of spotting them.
The impact was expected near the Moon's visible edge. Even then, the debris was likely to appear only about 1.5 arcseconds above the lunar edge, a very small distance that is difficult to detect even with large telescopes.
The Al Khatm Observatory shared an image of the Moon taken two minutes after the expected impact. It also released a six-minute time-lapse of the observation. Scientists are now studying data from other observatories and space telescopes to check if any signs of the collision were recorded.