There were 'audible screams of delight': Why Artemis II sightings of meteor flashes on the moon have scientists giddy

A composite of two images, the one on the left being a close up of the moon's gray, cratered surface and the right showing a man wearing glasses looking out a window to the left of the image.

While flying just a few thousand miles above the moon on April 6, Artemis II astronauts reported seeing a handful of bright, fleeting flashes of light on the lunar surface, leaving mission scientists on Earth buzzing with excitement.

The excitement comes with good reason for scientists planning future lunar missions: These brief flashes, caused by tiny meteorites striking the moon, help researchers track when and where impacts occur. Such data can improve scientists' understanding of the risks these impacts pose to long-term infrastructure and a sustained human presence on the moon.