A discarded SpaceX rocket upper stage is on a high-speed collision course with the moon and will unintentionally slam into the lunar surface on Wednesday. The impact is expected to carve out a crater and send up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists and skygazers are eager to observe.
The rocket was launched more than a year ago carrying a pair of lunar landers. After completing that mission, the upper stage was left drifting in space and has been pulled by gravity toward the moon.
No one will be harmed by the crash, and the event offers a rare chance to study the moon's surface. Researchers plan to watch from Earth as the impact happens, while skywatchers are also following the incoming rocket.
The exact location of the crash has not been specified, but the collision is expected to create a visible disturbance on the moon's surface. This is the first known unintentional crash of a SpaceX rocket into the moon.