Astronomer Captures Rare Footage of Two Meteors Striking the Moon Twice in a Week

Astronomers often come across rare cosmic events and capture them using advanced technology. Using telescopes, high-speed cameras, and other devices, they keep a constant check on the skies for any sudden flashes or movements. Some of them even set up automated systems that record the night sky for hours, increasing the chances of capturing unpredictable moments like meteor showers. In one such rare and spectacular sight, Japanese astronomer Daichi Fujii, who is also the curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum, captured two bright meteors striking the Moon on October 30 and November 1.

The brief moment when the bursts of light were seen from our planet lasted for just a few seconds. The light occurred as a result of fast-moving space rocks crashing into the moon. With the Southern Taurid meteor shower that took place on November 5 and the Northern Taurid meteor shower that is all set to take place on November 9, meteors have already begun to dazzle the night skies. The astronomer reportedly captured these rare yet exciting moments using cameras that were aimed at the darker side of the Moon, and shared the striking footage on his X account that goes by the username @dfuji1.

In his post, the astronomer wrote, “A lunar impact flash appeared again last night! This flash occurred at 8:49 PM and 19.4 seconds on November 1, 2025 (270 fps, 0.03x speed). Because the Moon has no atmosphere, meteors cannot be seen; instead, it lights up at the moment a crater forms. This could be from the Southern Taurids or Northern Taurids. The brightness ratio was 78%, but a thicker Moon also has the advantage of allowing more observation time.” The first strike on October 30 took place around 8:30 p.m. Japan Standard Time, when a bright flash was spotted east of the moon’s Gassendi Crater.

As reported by Space, the second was captured near the west of Oceanus Procellarum—the Moon’s vast ‘Ocean of Storms.’ Although it isn't confirmed by the official sources whether the impacts came from the Taurid meteor showers or were just isolated meteors, the astronomer pointed out that the timing coincides with the showers’ active phase. Speaking of the video clip, Fujii said, "The pixels were saturated, so it's possible the flash was even brighter than the recorded data suggests." Meanwhile, opening up about his journey, Fujii stated, "I started observing lunar impact flashes around 2011 and have been continuously observing since 2020. With my 20cm telescope, I typically detect about one impact flash every few dozen hours of observation.”

He added, “Because the thin crescent moon is visible only briefly and often low in the sky where thin clouds are common, I only observe a few dozen flashes per year.” Until now, Fujii has recorded around 60 impact flashes on the moon. Unlike our planet, which is protected by a dense layer of atmosphere that allegedly burns the meteors before they land somewhere, the moon has no such defense. Therefore, space rocks slam directly into its surface at very high speeds—between 45,000 and 160,000 miles per hour—generating intense bursts of light and heat upon impact.

You can watch the videos here and here.

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