A piece of a SpaceX rocket is about to hit the moon

Key Points:

• On August 5 at approximately 2:34 a.m. ET, the upper stage of a discarded SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will collide with the moon near the crater Einstein at 5,400 mph, creating a flash of light, plume of ejecta, and a fresh crater.
• Researchers see this impact as a rare calibration event to study lunar impacts, as the mass and speed of the rocket stage are known, unlike natural meteoroid strikes.
• The plume generated by the impact will help scientists analyze the moon's composition and assess potential risks lunar impacts pose to future astronauts and infrastructure.
• The Falcon 9 upper stage was left in a moon-crossing high-Earth orbit after launching two lunar landers in January 2025, one of which successfully landed while the other crashed.
• The impact flash will be faint and difficult to observe with the naked eye, but amateur astronomers with telescopes are encouraged to watch and report any sightings to aid scientific study.