Climate change and environmental action

Why haven't we seen images of SpaceX Moon crash yet?

A SpaceX rocket part crashed into the Moon surface on August 5 but scientists have to wait before obtaining photographs of the resulting impact site. According to the BBC, the empty upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket hit the lunar surface at about 5,400 miles per hour. The spacecraft speed enables Earth circumnavigation through a five-hour time span. So where are the pictures? Spacecraft that orbit the Moon need to wait for several days or weeks until they reach the crash location to capture detailed photographs according to BBC science reporter Pallab Ghosh. The impact occurred on the far side of the Moon which remains hidden from Earth view so ground-based telescopes failed to observe the event. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft from NASA needs to position itself correctly when the Sun creates suitable lighting conditions to take pictures of the new crater. Why does this matter? The first point shows how space has become a densely populated area. The rocket stages which remain in orbit will eventually fall back to Earth where they create dangerous collisions with our space exploration targets. The crash created a new lunar crater which scientists can study to understand Moon surface composition through non-invasive observation. The BBC reports the impact speed was roughly 8,700 kilometers per hour — fast enough to excavate material that hasn't seen sunlight in billions of years. The exact location and severity of the rocket impact remain under investigation by scientists.