Moon Smash Could Be Seen From Earth

If you happened to be glancing skyward the night of March 17 and noticed a bright flash on the moon, NASA has your explanation: A meteor slammed into it, reports National Geographic. A 90-pound rock hit the moon at 56,000mph, creating an explosion 10 times brighter than any previously seen in eight years of monitoring lunar meteor strikes—and bright enough to be seen from Earth. NASA figures the rock probably left a crater about 65 feet wide. The Earth is better protected than the moon against such strikes because of its atmosphere, explains Space.com, but we get our share. (More moon stories.)