Twin Impact Lunar Telescope network: Lunar Impact Flash observations of the 2025 Geminids

Abstract Meteoroid impacts on the Moon, observed from Earth as flashes typically lasting a few tens of milliseconds, have been monitored for three decades for determining meteoroids’ size and mass frequency distribution in the cm-dm range. Studies link these observed impact events to fresh craters advancing our understanding of energy partitioning during an impact. Currently we are transitioning to a new era where lunar impact flashes (LIFs) can be used to supplement upcoming lunar seismology to study the internal lunar structure. Here we present results from the first station of a telescope network under development for continuous LIF monitoring. Observations were carried out during the Geminids 2025 campaign, initiated by the LUMIO Science Team in the framework of their public engagement activities. We detected 53 potential impact flashes and confirmed 11 of them through multi-frame observations, and independent detections by other observers. We present evidence suggesting that some of the yet-unconfirmed events may be real. Our confirmed events range between magnitude +7.5 and +10.4, primarily in the V- and R-band. We obtained a high rate of observations per hour, highlighting the importance of high-ZHR meteoroid streams for observing LIFs. We also discuss the scientific value of potential LIFs that remain unconfirmed in optical data alone. Even without multi-station confirmation, these events can correlate to seismic signals in future lunar seismic networks, thereby providing useful physical constraints on impact processes. This approach would also allow stations equipped with a single telescope/camera to meaningfully contribute to the network.