The upper stage of the rocket hit near the Einstein Crater on the western side of the moon, which is difficult to see from Earth’s surface. If you had been watching, it was more likely that you would have seen the giant plume of moon dust after the fact than the actual impact.

By Will Dunham WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The moon is, to put it mildly, an inhospitable place for people and other living organisms from Earth, with its lack of breathable air, extreme temperatures and exposure to relentless space radiation and energetic particles.