Mysterious explosion on the Moon? Something just crashed on the Moon, and the hit was visible on Earth; Photo inside

The Moon is one of the most charming, attractive, and graceful objects shining in the night sky. But as we know, this beautiful celestial body, the only natural satellite of our planet, has numerous craters on its surface. Have you ever wondered how they formed?

These spots, or craters, are the result of asteroid collisions over millions of years, dating back to when the solar system was still taking shape.

One such explosive impact happened recently, and it was captured from Earth.

Explosion on the Moon’s surface captured

On December 12, 2025, at exactly 03:09:36 UTC, astronomers at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium (AOP) in Ireland recorded a striking white flash on the Moon’s night side. This marks the first video of such an event captured from Ireland and only the second from the UK, according to AOP’s official announcement.

PhD student Andrew Marshall-Lee recorded the moment using the Armagh Robotic Telescope (ART), spotting a brief burst consistent with a small meteoroid slamming into the lunar surface.

The impact occurred just before the Geminid meteor shower peaked on December 13, originating from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. “Lunar impact flashes are rare events and are seen only very occasionally, although they are more likely to be detected during major meteor showers,” AOP stated, making the Geminids the prime suspect.

These collisions on the Moon protect the Earth

The Moon's craters prove it's Earth's shield, soaking up space debris we never see. "The objects responsible for these flashes are typically very small, often smaller than a golf ball, and are far too faint to be seen with a telescope while in space," explained AOP researchers. When they strike at high speeds... their kinetic energy is rapidly converted into heat and light". Flashes last fractions of a second, tough to catch without fast cameras on 20cm+ telescopes monitoring the dark side patiently.


This followed two November impacts which were captured by an amateur and posted on his X account earlier. Teams are probing the exact source, but Geminid ties seem solid—expect more analysis soon.


Spotting these needs luck and gear, yet they reveal meteoroid fluxes bombarding the Moon.