Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii recorded two brief, bright meteor impacts on the Moon on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, capturing split-second flashes on video. The strikes occurred at about 3:30 a.m. PST and 3:49 a.m. PST while cameras targeted the Moon’s nightside. They happened shortly before activity from the Southern and Northern Taurid streams, though it is not yet confirmed whether the meteors were Taurid fragments or sporadic. Fujii shared the footage on X, where the clips have drawn thousands of views.
Astronomer Films Two Bright Meteors Striking the Moon in Late October and Early November
Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii recorded two brief, bright meteor impacts on the Moon on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, capturing split-second flashes on video. The strikes occurred at about 3:30 a.m. PST and 3:49 a.m. PST while cameras targeted the Moon’s nightside. They happened shortly before activity from the Southern and Northern Taurid streams, though it is not yet confirmed whether the meteors were Taurid fragments or sporadic. Fujii shared the footage on X, where the clips have drawn thousands of views.
11:55, 07.11.2025Science
Astronomer Captures Two Meteor Impacts on the Moon
Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii, curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum, recorded two brief, bright flashes when meteors struck the Moon on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1. Fujii used cameras aimed at the Moon's nightside to catch the fleeting flashes against the dark portion of the lunar disk.
The first impact was observed at about 3:30 a.m. PST on Oct. 30, and the second occurred at roughly 3:49 a.m. PST on Nov. 1. Each flash lasted only a split second but was bright enough to be captured on video and later reviewed by observers.
Both strikes occurred just ahead of the annual Taurid meteor activity — the Southern Taurid shower, which recently peaked, and the Northern Taurid stream that follows. Space.com cautioned that researchers have not yet confirmed whether these two impacts were fragments from the Taurid complex or were sporadic meteors unrelated to the showers.
Fujii posted the video clips to his X account, where they have garnered thousands of views as space enthusiasts and researchers examine the short but informative footage. Lunar impacts like these help scientists estimate impact rates and study how small meteoroids affect the lunar surface.
Why this matters: Observations of meteor strikes on the Moon provide valuable data about the population of small space rocks near Earth and help refine impact models used by planetary scientists.