Far side (Moon)

:This article concerns the far side of the Moon. For other uses see far side (disambiguation).

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The far side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere

Related Topics:
Moon - Lunar

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that is permanently turned away from the Earth. This face is

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not visible because the rotation of the moon about its axis is

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synchronized with its orbital period. This lock-step

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synchronization was achieved by the tidal forces

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between the Earth and the Moon.

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The two hemispheres have a distinctly different appearance, with

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the near side covered in multiple, large maria.

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The far side has a battered, densely-cratered appearance with

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few mares. Only 2.5% of the surface of the far side is covered

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by maria, compared to 31.2% on the near side. The most likely

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explanation for this difference is that the crust of the Moon is

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40 km thicker on the far side. Thus it was more difficult for

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molten materials to penetrate to the surface.

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The far side was sometimes referred to as the "Dark Side", due to

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the lack of human knowledge concerning that hemisphere. The word

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"Dark" in a cultural context was meant to express a lack of information, rather than the actual lighting conditions.

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