<p>Yes, they have been observed many times. The NELIOTA project is dedicated to observing meteorite impacts on the Moon by means of Earth-based observations of the night side through a 1.2 m diameter telescope located in Greece.
All the recorded impacts (there are more than 150) can be found at:</p>
<p><a href="https://neliota.astro.noa.gr/DataAccess" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Near-Earth object Lunar Impacts and Optical TrAnsients, (NELIOTA archive)</strong></a></p>
<p>Another project dedicated to observing meteorite impacts on the Moon is:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.meteoroides.net/e_midas_results.html" rel="noreferrer"><strong>MIDAS, (Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System)</strong></a></p>
<p>During the total lunar eclipse of 21 January 2019 many amateur astronomers around the world recorded an impact:</p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5ir8nPSSLYQ?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FNvfBCu-jjI?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p>About this impact during the eclipse, you may find it useful to consult:</p>
<p><a href="https://ras.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Madiedo%20et%20al.pdf" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Multiwavelength observations of a bright impact flash
during the January 2019 total lunar eclipse</strong></a></p>
<p><a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.09573" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Location, orbit and energy of a meteoroid impacting the moon during the Lunar Eclipse of January 21, 2019</strong></a></p>
<p>This other video explains the impact on the Moon on 11 September 2013</p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/perqv4qByaI?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p>The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has discovered new meteor craters on the Moon, see for example:</p>
<p><a href="https://www.lroc.asu.edu/images/770" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Four different NAC images of crater (18 meter diameter) formed on the Moon, 17 March 2013</strong></a></p>
<p><div class="youtube-embed"><div>
                <iframe width="640px" height="395px" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IYloGuUZCFM?start=0"></iframe>
            </div></div></p>
<p>Best regards.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-27T16:07:45.197Z
Of course, these were not *micro*meteoroids.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-27T20:34:22.880Z
That certainly covers the "or larger" part of my question but I'm confidant that earth based observations cannot see the vast majority of impacts, many of which would be hazardous to moon based infrastructure. Thanks for the useful links in your reply.
Ken Mercer
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-27T13:46:46.663Z
2024-05-27T14:23:36.793Z
2024-05-27T14:23:36.793Z
Albert
<p>Have any cameras on the moon's surface directly observed micrometeoroid (or larger!) impacts? Presumably small craters form when impacts occur and information could be gleaned from observing the ejecta and size and shape of the resulting craters. A camera could easily observe a much larger area than that of a spacecraft so would see many more impacts than vibration sensors on the craft itself would detect.</p>
<p>If there have not been cameras operating for long enough to observe any impacts are any future moon missions planned which might do so? Or has the LRO actually observed any, presumably much larger, impacts?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-27T06:51:59.177Z
I've seen a measurement that there would be 30 impacts with craters of 0,1 mm² per square metre per year.  But that is still a small area. I don't know of any observations of impacts, nor what such an observation would look like.  We have observed the craters from satellite experiments.  We have observed larger impacts from Earth (including one during a lunar eclipse)
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-05-27T16:31:13.957Z
FWIW, [A total of 106kg of micrometeoroids impact the lunar surface every year and each projectile excavates about 1000 times its own mass](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/micrometeoroid)
Nilay Ghosh
<the-moon><crater><meteoroid>
Have micrometeoroids been observed impacting the moon's surface?
Ken Mercer
# Have micrometeoroids been observed impacting the moon's surface?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-05-27)

Have any cameras on the moon's surface directly observed micrometeoroid (or larger!) impacts? Presumably small craters form when impacts occur and information could be gleaned from observing the ejecta and size and shape of the resulting craters. A camera could easily observe a much larger area than that of a spacecraft so would see many more impacts than vibration sensors on the craft itself would detect.

If there have not been cameras operating for long enough to observe any impacts are any future moon missions planned which might do so? Or has the LRO actually observed any, presumably much larger, impacts?

**Tags:** the-moon, crater, meteoroid

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I've seen a measurement that there would be 30 impacts with craters of 0,1 mm² per square metre per year.  But that is still a small area. I don't know of any observations of impacts, nor what such an observation would look like.  We have observed the craters from satellite experiments.  We have observed larger impacts from Earth (including one during a lunar eclipse)  
> **username_2**: FWIW, [A total of 106kg of micrometeoroids impact the lunar surface every year and each projectile excavates about 1000 times its own mass](https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/micrometeoroid)  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2024-05-27. Score: 7

Yes, they have been observed many times. The NELIOTA project is dedicated to observing meteorite impacts on the Moon by means of Earth-based observations of the night side through a 1.2 m diameter telescope located in Greece.
All the recorded impacts (there are more than 150) can be found at:

[**Near-Earth object Lunar Impacts and Optical TrAnsients, (NELIOTA archive)**](https://neliota.astro.noa.gr/DataAccess)

Another project dedicated to observing meteorite impacts on the Moon is:

[**MIDAS, (Moon Impacts Detection and Analysis System)**](http://www.meteoroides.net/e_midas_results.html)

During the total lunar eclipse of 21 January 2019 many amateur astronomers around the world recorded an impact:

About this impact during the eclipse, you may find it useful to consult:

[**Multiwavelength observations of a bright impact flash
during the January 2019 total lunar eclipse**](https://ras.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Madiedo%20et%20al.pdf)

[**Location, orbit and energy of a meteoroid impacting the moon during the Lunar Eclipse of January 21, 2019**](https://arxiv.org/abs/1901.09573)

This other video explains the impact on the Moon on 11 September 2013

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has discovered new meteor craters on the Moon, see for example:

[**Four different NAC images of crater (18 meter diameter) formed on the Moon, 17 March 2013**](https://www.lroc.asu.edu/images/770)

Best regards.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Of course, these were not *micro*meteoroids.  
> **username_0**: That certainly covers the "or larger" part of my question but I'm confidant that earth based observations cannot see the vast majority of impacts, many of which would be hazardous to moon based infrastructure. Thanks for the useful links in your reply.  

---

