Sign of "Falcon 9" rocket debris impacting the Moon observed by astronomical telescopes.

The European Southern Observatory reported that its Very Large Telescope in Chile observed signs of a discarded Falcon 9 rocket debris from SpaceX impacting the Moon around 2:35 AM Eastern Time on the 5th. According to Reuters, while a few spacecraft orbiting the Moon failed to capture close-up images of the impact, the Very Large Telescope was able to detect the faint light traces produced by the collision. A spokesperson for the European Southern Observatory told Reuters, "We can confirm that after the impact, the telescope detected spectral lines of sodium and lithium gases in the impact plume, lasting about 5 to 10 minutes." The Associated Press quoted Karl Schmidt, an astronomer at Boston University, stating that he is "100% certain" his team observed signs of the impact, saying, "We don't have images of the impact, but we have telescope evidence."