Rare double lunar impact flashes captured hours apart on the same night

Two lunar impacts were recorded by Japanese astronomer and curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum Daichi Fujii on December 8, 2024.

Using advanced high-speed recording equipment, Fujii captured the first event at 10:41 UTC (19:41 local time (LT)) from Hiratsuka, Japan, at an impressive 620 fps. Just hours later, a second impact flash was documented at 13:38 UTC (22:38 LT).

“Since the Moon has no atmosphere, meteors cannot be seen, and they only shine when craters form,” Fujii explained.

Fujii added that he is still sorting the data and noted that he had confirmed two lunar impacts prior to this. One lunar impact flash was confirmed at approximately 17:26 LT on December 6, and another was confirmed at 18:03 LT on December 7.

“Bright meteors and fireballs have been appearing daily, but lunar impact flashes have also been captured in succession,” Fujii noted.

Lunar impact flashes occur when meteoroids strike the Moon’s surface at high speeds, converting kinetic energy into heat and light visible from Earth. Unlike Earth, the Moon lacks an atmosphere to burn up incoming meteoroids, making such impacts a direct and unfiltered phenomenon.

These events offer valuable insights into meteoroid flux in near-Earth space while also having practical implications for future lunar exploration and the safety of upcoming lunar bases.

As the curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum, Fujii has documented such events before, including a notable meteorite impact flash on the Moon’s surface on February 23, 2023. He described it as his most significant observation of lunar impacts, noting the flash as an exceptionally bright event that lasted for more than one second.

However, capturing two lunar impacts in a single night is an even rarer and more remarkable achievement, made possible by Fujii’s dedication and advanced recording techniques.