Astronomers see comet strike during lunar eclipse

Astronomers managed to capture the moment of an impact during this week’s eclipsed moon. Spanish astrophysicist Jose Maria Madiedo of the University of Huelva said yesterday it appears a rock from a comet slammed into the moon during the total lunar eclipse on Monday. The strike was seen by telescopes in Spain as a bright flash. Madiedo said it’s the first impact flash ever seen during a lunar eclipse, although such crater-forming impacts are common. The object hit at an estimated 17km per second, and weighed 10kg, according to Madiedo.