SpaceX rocket set to impact the moon as astronomers watch

Astronomers around the world are preparing to observe an old SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage as it is expected to strike the moon’s daylight side early Wednesday morning. The rocket part launched in January 2025 with two commercial lunar landers, but later orbital calculations showed it would not miss the moon after all. Independent astronomer Bill Gray refined the tracking data and determined the object is on course for a direct impact. Researchers hope the event will help them learn more about lunar impacts and the risks such debris could pose as future missions and possible lunar habitats increase. Observers in central and eastern Canada, the U.S., parts of the Caribbean, and South America may have the best chance to see a brief flash or a dust plume.