the moon is hit by small rocks more often than Earth because it has only a tenuous atmosphere, while Earth's is thick enough for many space rocks to burn up before they can reach the surface.
The scientists added that observing the flash was especially valuable because they cannot duplicate it on our own planet.
"It would be impossible to reproduce these high-speed collisions in a lab on Earth. Observing flashes is a great way to test our ideas on exactly what happens when a meteorite collides with the moon," Madiedo said.
The scientists added that knowing the rate of lunar collisions will be especially important in the protection of the safety of astronauts, who may venture back to the surface of the moon as soon as 2024.
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the moon is hit by small rocks more often than Earth because it has only a tenuous atmosphere, while Earth's is thick enough for many space rocks to burn up before they can reach the surface.
The scientists added that observing the flash was especially valuable because they cannot duplicate it on our own planet.
"It would be impossible to reproduce these high-speed collisions in a lab on Earth. Observing flashes is a great way to test our ideas on exactly what happens when a meteorite collides with the moon," Madiedo said.
The scientists added that knowing the rate of lunar collisions will be especially important in the protection of the safety of astronauts, who may venture back to the surface of the moon as soon as 2024.