Astronomers have witnessed a remarkable flash of light on the far side of the Moon, likely caused by a meteor smashing into the lunar surface. The exact source is still under investigation, but experts believe it may be related to pieces from the Geminid meteor shower.
The event was recorded by Andrew Marshall-Lee, a PhD student at the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium in Northern Ireland. He caught the flash live on his screen at 3:09 am UTC on December 12, 2025. “This makes it extra special,” he said, reflecting on how rare it is to see such an event.
The impact involved an object about the size of a golf ball zipping towards the Moon at an incredible speed—around 35 kilometers per second. When it struck, its energy transformed into heat and light, resulting in a brief flash visible from Earth through a telescope.
According to the Armagh Observatory, this is the first documented lunar impact flash from Ireland and only the second in the British Isles. Since the Moon lacks an atmosphere, it’s vulnerable to these high-speed collisions. Any fragments from meteors that miss Earth often hit the Moon, producing brief bursts of light.
This incident ties back to the ongoing Geminid meteor shower, which occurs annually from December 4 to 20. The shower originates from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, an unusual celestial body shedding debris as it travels. While many pieces burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, some instead collide with the Moon, creating these flashes.
Capturing such events is very rare, with many factors at play, including the tiny size of the flash and the vastness of the lunar surface. There’s a chance that additional impacts could be observed in the remaining days of the meteor shower.
In a recent survey by the American Meteor Society, over 60% of avid stargazers expressed excitement about the Geminid meteor shower, showing how astronomical events captivate the public. As technology improves, more enthusiasts and researchers may catch these fleeting moments.
For more insights about meteors and their origins, you can check out the American Meteor Society for updates and resources.
