Observational planning for the 2026 August 5 Falcon 9 Upper Stage lunar impact

Abstract

On 2026 August 5, at approximately 06:35 UT, a spent Falcon 9 upper stage will impact the lunar surface near Einstein Crater. This event will occur on sunlit terrain near the eastern limb as seen from Earth. The impact flash and resultant ejecta plume from this event are potentially observable from ground- and space-based observational facilities. This event provides an opportunity to attempt the recording of an artificial impact in real-time; although many of the properties of the event (such as visual magnitude) are imprecisely predicted at present. Moreover, this event provides an opportunity to test a pipeline for localising impacts on the lunar surface for future seismic experiments, investigating the dust and plume dynamics from impact events on the Moon, and considering hazards from artificial space debris impacts. Both professional and amateur astronomers are encouraged to attempt observations of this event.