What does the far side of the Moon look like?

Compared to the near side, the far side’s terrain is rugged, with a multitude of impact craters and relatively few flat and dark lunar maria (“seas”), giving it an appearance closer to other barren places in the solar system such as Mercury and Callisto.

What do we call the side of the moon we Cannot see?

There is a ‘dark side’ of the moon, but you are probably using the term incorrectly all of the time. People often say “dark side” of the moon when referring to the lunar face we can’t see from Earth. This common use of the phrase is wrong — the term scientists use is the “far side.”

Can you use a telescope on the moon?

The moon’s lack of an atmosphere will allow the longer radio wavelengths to reach a telescope built on the moon. And the far side of the moon is an excellent site for a radio telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope (and soon the James Webb Space Telescope) can peer back in time to the first stars and galaxies.

What surface features are almost completely absent on the far side of the Moon?

It was almost immediately evident that the dark patches that make the face of the Man in the Moon on the near side are almost completely absent on the far side. These dark patches are basaltic plains called “mare” created by volcanic activity on the moon billions of years ago.

Why do no maria exist on the far side of the moon?

Alternatively if the same meteoroid was to impact on the far side of the Moon, the thicker crust would not be punctured, so more valleys, craters and highlands are created, but no maria.

Why is the far side of the Moon used for telescopes?

Because the far side of the Moon is shielded from radio transmissions from the Earth, it is considered a good location for placing radio telescopes for use by astronomers. Small, bowl-shaped craters provide a natural formation for a stationary telescope similar to Arecibo in Puerto Rico.

Can We land on the far side of the Moon?

Today, NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has mapped the near side and far side of the moon in exquisite detail. And China just launched the robotic Chang’e 4 mission, which will make the first-ever landing on the lunar far side in early January. When humans do eventually return to the moon, the far side must be a goal for a landing.

How far did the Chinese Rover travel on the far side?

According to the China Lunar Exploration Project, by the end of that eighth workday, the rover had traveled a total of 890 feet (271 meters) across the far side of the moon. The far side of the moon is quite different from the side we’re used to seeing from Earth, and scientists don’t understand how those differences arose.

Why does the far side of the Moon have more Maria?

Only 1\% of the surface of the far side is covered by maria, compared to 31.2\% on the near side. One commonly accepted explanation for this difference is related to a higher concentration of heat-producing elements on the near-side hemisphere, as has been demonstrated by geochemical maps obtained from the Lunar Prospector gamma-ray spectrometer.