Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
During the Artemis II mission in early April, astronauts observed flashes of light on the lunar surface caused by meteoroids impacting the Moon. Meanwhile, volunteers in NASA's Impact Flash project scanned the Moon from Earth using telescopes with video capabilities and submitted recordings for scientific analysis. Project lead Ben Fernando of Los Alamos National Laboratory noted that combining observations from various locations and instruments helps researchers better understand impactors and the craters they create.
Although the Artemis II astronauts have returned to Earth and paused their lunar observations, the Impact Flash team continues its efforts and seeks further volunteer contributions. Individuals with telescopes at least four inches in diameter and equipped for video can help track the Moon's current impact rate and its changes over time. Instructions for observing and submitting data are available on the project's website.
Looking ahead, the project plans to use impact flash observations to study moonquakes, seismic events that reveal information about the Moon's interior structure. Fernando highlighted upcoming missions to deploy seismometers on the Moon, with impact flash data aiding in identifying the sources of detected lunar tremors.
The Impact Flash project collaborated with several amateur astronomer networks during Artemis II, including NASA-funded groups such as Kilo-nova Catchers, Exoplanet Watch, UNITE, the Night Sky Network, and the Lunar Impact Flashes project at Italy's National Research Council. Acknowledgments were given to contributors who built the project's web infrastructure and curated data, with support from the Italian Space Agency and the European Space Agency.