New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- The steep-sided hole - about 728 feet (222 meters) across and up to 141 feet (43 meters) deep - is the solar system's biggest known impact crater carved out in recent times.

Such a large-scale event is estimated to occur only once every 132 years, researchers said, making this a treasure trove of information as NASA prepares to build a base for astronauts on the moon.

"This event constitutes a statistically rare, effectively once-in-a-lifetime observation," the scientists wrote in one of two studies appearing on the subject Wednesday in the journal Science Advances.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted the crater on the moon's near side in May 2024 soon after it was formed by an incoming fragment of an ast...