What Actually Happened?<\/p>\n The Artemis II mission, the first crewed lunar flight since Apollo 17, looped around the Moon\u2019s far side on April 6. Crew commander Reid Wiseman and others reported 4-6 flashes during the near-hour-long eclipse period, with some near the south pole.<\/p>\n Mission control erupted in \u201caudible screams of delight,\u201d as science officer Kelsey Young described<\/a> the real-time reports. This Earthrise view, captured during the flyby, highlights the stark contrast where such flashes stand out against shadowed terrain.<\/p>\n Impact flashes are brief bursts of light from meteoroids vaporizing on impact \u2013 less than 1% of the energy creates the glow, the rest forms craters. Cameras struggle because the events last milliseconds in extreme low light, but trained human eyes excel here.<\/p>\n This echoes Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt\u2019s mysterious flashes in lunar night, now confirmed as impacts.<\/p>\n Why Scientists Are Excited<\/p>\n These observations validate human eyes for lunar science, aiding Artemis base planning by mapping impact frequency, sizes, and risks. Data helps model shock waves through the Moon and predict hazards for habitats near the south pole. Coordinated with Earth-based telescopes and NASA\u2019s Reconnaissance Orbiter, it builds a fuller picture of meteoroid flux.<\/p>\n Bigger Picture: Lunar Impact Monitoring<\/p>\n NASA tracks ~20 detectable flashes yearly via orbiters; citizen science like the Impact Flash project boosts coverage. Recent upticks in Earth fireballs and solar activity may correlate, per some reports.<\/p>\n![\"Earthset\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/earthset-1024x683.webp.webp\")
Credit: NASAWhy Flashes Are Hard to Photograph<\/p>\n