Yahoo News Astronomers spot asteroid slamming into the moon during solar eclipse at 38,000mph
During the alarmingly titled ‘super blood wolf moon’ eclipse in January, astronomers spotted something never seen before – an asteroid slamming into the moon.
The asteroid hit the moon at such speed that it left a crater 33 to 55 feet across, researchers believe, moving at 38,000mph
Astronomers have never filmed a space rock hitting the moon during a lunar eclipse, but captured a 0.28 second flash as the rock hit our planet’s satellite.
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Lunar eclipses happen with the moon covered by Earth’s shadow and taking on a red glow – hence the name blood moon.
The super blood wolf moon eclipse happened on Monday 21st January with the total eclipse giving the dawn sky a reddish tinge.
The slightly alarming name is due to the combination of several different celestial phenomena.
First, it was wolf moon, a traditional name for full moons in winter.
But it was also a supermoon, where the moon is at its closest point to Earth. NASA says, ‘The full moon will also be at its closest point to Earth in its orbit, called perigee.
And it was a lunar eclipse, with the moon covered by Earth’s shadow and taking on a red glow – hence the name blood moon.
