NASA finds double crater caused by rocket crash on the moon

A rocket part has crashed into the moon and created two craters on the lunar surface.

The rocket struck the far side of the moon in March, but astronomers only reported the discovery of the impact site last week.

There’s been “a bit of confusion” about the object that caused the double crater.

Maine-based astronomer Bill Gray initially believed a rocket booster from a NASA mission caused the double crater.

But he’s now concluded it was a Long March 3C rocket launched from China in 2014.

“We did eventually figure out that it was the result of a Chinese lunar mission,” he told Stephen Quartermain and Elise Elliott, filling in for Ross and Russel.

But a Chinese official denied it was part of a Chinese rocket, saying that the rocket stage from the mission which launched the Chang’e-5 T1 spacecraft, re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up.

Mr Gray says concern about space junk is growing.

“It’s been an increasing concern over the years.”

Press PLAY below to hear more about the double crater confusion

Image: NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University