European Southern Observatory telescope sees Falcon 9 impact cloud near Einstein crater

The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope observed a Falcon 9 rocket stage crashing into the Moon, detecting sodium and lithium in the resulting dust cloud. The impact occurred about 8:35 a.m. Central European Time, at roughly 8,700 km/h near the Einstein crater. The cloud contained sodium, likely from lunar soil, and lithium, possibly from the rocket. The four-tonne stage, launched in January 2025, carried lunar landers. No orbiting probe saw the impact directly; NASA's LRO will photograph the site in coming days.