A meteorite crashed into the Moon during total lunar eclipse in January

For the first time, researchers have been able to capture, on video, a meteorite crashing into the Moon.

Tech2 News Staff|May 03, 2019, 10:27:49 IST

A meteorite crashed into the moon during a total lunar eclipse on January 2019. It was travelling at 61,000 kilometres per hour.When it crashed, the thermal glow produced by the collision is seen as a flash, from Earth.The flash was observed and recorded by the Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System (MIDAS) survey and by laymen who were trying to click pictures of the eclipse.This is the first time that a lunar impact flash has been recorded during a lunar eclipse and lasted for 0.28 seconds.[caption id="attachment_6562761" align="alignnone" width="1280"]

Lunar impact flash recorded on 21st January 2019. image credit: MIDAS Survey[/caption]An article published in the Monthly Notice of the Royal Astronomical Society says that the meteorite created a crater 10 to 15 meters large.A total lunar eclipse takes place when the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon. The Moon is covered by the shadow of the Earth. When this happens, the Moon can turn red, earning it the nickname of Blood Moon.Astronomers at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich reported a second flash, however, there is no proof of it on the recording. The researchers have concluded that this might be a secondary event that is not related to the meteorite impact.

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