1972 · Moon
Flashes on the Moon: Apollo 16, Apollo 17, Artemis II
Artemis II crew marks the flashes (April 2026) · NASA (Artemis II crew annotation, released October 2026)
When1972 - 2026
WhereMoon
Backing4 independent
Witnesses2 named
Evidenceofficial records, documents
Astronauts have seen flashes on the lunar surface on three occasions that could be checked: Mattingly on Apollo 16 (one, then two on the next orbit), Schmitt on Apollo 17, and five faint flashes from Artemis II during the April 2026 eclipse. When seismometers were running, none matched; since 1977 there have been no working seismometers, so the Artemis flashes are called impacts without seismic confirmation.
Evidence, in date order (4)
- 1972Ken Mattingly, Apollo 16witnessSaw one flash, then two on the next orbit Ken Mattingly
- 10 Dec 1972Harrison Schmitt, Apollo 17witnessSaw a flash north of Grimaldi and asked Houston to check the seismometers Schmitt's flash north of Grimaldi
- 2026Fernando et al. (with Harrison Schmitt)documentThree Apollo flashes, four seismic stations running, no candidate matches Fernando et al. 2026: Apollo impact flashes vs seismic data
- 7 Oct 2026NASA, Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science ReportofficialConfirms five flashes and rules out cosmic rays and reflections NASA Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report (7 October 2026)
How plausible · High
NASA confirms five Artemis II flashes, and astronauts on three missions saw them.
- ●●Access Direct observation or instruments.
- ●●No gain sought Nothing to gain.
- ●●Restraint Reported plainly.
- ●●Character record Trained professionals.
- ●●Independent convergence Independent sources agree.
- ●●Checkable details check out Released official records.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-23.
On the record
- Fernando et al. 2026: three Apollo flashes, four stations running, 'no candidate matches'.
- NASA Artemis II report: five flashes confirmed; cosmic rays and reflections ruled out; an Orion camera caught none.
Claims
Artemis II: 'The entire Moon is lit up'. Jeremy Hansen's words during the 6 April 2026 eclipse are confirmed. NASA is still investigating whether the halo is corona, zodiacal light or both; an arXiv paper (2604.13908) reads it as the F-corona.firsthandOn the recordJeremy Hansen
In The picture
The pictureSomeone was here first. Apollo 11’s crew saw the glow at Aristarchus while observers on Earth reported it, astronauts on three missions saw flashes on the Moon that NASA’s Artemis II report confirms, and Cernan watched a distant ‘flasher’. China’s Chang’e-6 brought back far-side soil holding single-walled carbon nano…
‹ Previous in Max Derakhshani's objectsSchmitt's flash north of Grimaldi8 of 17Next in Max Derakhshani's objects ›Apollo 17: tumbling fragments and Cernan's distant 'flasher'
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People and organizations
Apollo 16 missionArtemis II missionFarouk El-Baz personHarrison Schmitt personJeremy Hansen personKen Mattingly personFernando et al. 2026: Apollo impact flashes vs seismic data documentNASA Artemis II Preliminary Lunar Science Report (7 October 2026) documentReality Check: 'Mysterious moon towers: Are there bases on the lunar surface?' document