Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii posted video of two meteoroid impacts on the Moon, recorded on Oct. 30 (8:30 p.m. JST) and Nov. 1 (8:49 p.m. JST). One impactor is estimated at about 0.4 lb (~180 g), likely creating a crater near 10 ft (~3 m) across; camera saturation suggests the flashes may have been even brighter. The events may be tied to the Taurid meteor streams, with possible impact speeds around 60,000 mph (~97,000 km/h). Fujii, a prolific lunar flash observer, has logged roughly 60 such events, and multiple Japanese telescopes captured the glints from different angles.
Two Bright Flashes on the Moon: Japanese Astronomer Captures Meteoroid Impacts
Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii posted video of two meteoroid impacts on the Moon, recorded on Oct. 30 (8:30 p.m. JST) and Nov. 1 (8:49 p.m. JST). One impactor is estimated at about 0.4 lb (~180 g), likely creating a crater near 10 ft (~3 m) across; camera saturation suggests the flashes may have been even brighter. The events may be tied to the Taurid meteor streams, with possible impact speeds around 60,000 mph (~97,000 km/h). Fujii, a prolific lunar flash observer, has logged roughly 60 such events, and multiple Japanese telescopes captured the glints from different angles.
11:35, 07.11.2025Science
Two meteoroid impacts on the Moon captured by Japanese astronomer
Daichi Fujii, a curator at the Hiratsuka City Museum, posted video clips showing two meteoroids striking the lunar surface. The first impact was recorded on Oct. 30 at 8:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time (JST), and a second flash was captured on Nov. 1 at 8:49 p.m. JST.
Fujii uploaded the footage to X and explained the reason the impacts are visible:
“Since the Moon has no atmosphere, meteors cannot be seen, and it lights up at the moment a crater is formed.”Because the Moon lacks an atmospheric shield, incoming rocks strike the surface directly and produce a bright, very brief flash that can be observed from Earth.
Estimated size, speed and crater
Space.com estimates one of the impacting rocks weighed about 0.4 pounds (≈180 grams) and likely excavated a crater roughly 10 feet (≈3 meters) wide. Fujii noted that the camera pixels were saturated, so the recorded brightness may understate the true intensity of the flash.
Fujii suspects the impacts were associated with the Southern or Northern Taurid meteor streams, which are active this time of year and known to produce relatively large, fast meteoroids. If the Taurids were responsible, The New York Times reports an impact speed near 60,000 mph (≈97,000 km/h). Typical lunar impact speeds range from about 45,000 to 160,000 mph (≈72,000–257,000 km/h), so even small objects can release substantial energy on impact.
Observations and context
Multiple telescopes in Japan reportedly captured the brief glints from different angles, helping confirm the events. Fujii is one of the world's most prolific observers of lunar impacts and, according to Space.com, has recorded around 60 lunar flashes to date.
By comparison, Earth’s thick atmosphere vaporizes most small meteoroids before they reach the ground. The Moon, lacking such protection, endures the full energy of incoming rocks; as NASA notes, even a meteoroid weighing only a few pounds can carve a crater several yards wide and produce a bright, momentary flash when it strikes the lunar surface.
Why this matters
Monitoring lunar impacts helps scientists understand the flux of small bodies in the Earth–Moon neighborhood, the mechanics of crater formation, and the frequency of potentially hazardous debris. High-frame-rate video and multiple observing sites improve confidence in measurements of impact time, brightness and estimated energy.