The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket slammed into the moon on Wednesday. But while astronomers hoped to catch a glimpse of the impact, no one seems to have captured images or video. Scientists believe the sodium comes from material ejected from the lunar surface, while the lithium likely originated from the rocket itself. After completing its mission in early 2025, the Falcon 9 upper stage ended up in an orbit that was unstable. For more than a year, the gravity of Earth, the moon, and the sun slowly altered its trajectory until it eventually struck the lunar surface.