Posted on Apr 12, 2022
The Far Side of The Moon Is Significantly More Cratered. We May Finally Know Why
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Space
Astronomy
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PO1 Tony Holland
"CARLY CASSELLA11 APRIL 2022
No matter where you're standing on Earth, you can only ever see one face of the Moon. Its other cheek is perennially turned away from our planet, and this far side is much more pockmarked with craters than the one facing us.
The Moon's near side is covered in lunar maria, vast plains of volcanic basalt that appear as dark patches when we look up at our satellite. The reason for this two-faced appearance has remained a mystery – one that's persisted since the first spacecraft orbited the Moon in the 1960s. But a new simulation might now have solved the Apollo-era puzzle.
Piecing together the different features, computer models support the idea that a massive lunar impact once resurfaced the Moon's near side in lava flows. The differences are more than skin deep, since they're also reflected by distinct geological compositions on each side of the Moon."...
"CARLY CASSELLA11 APRIL 2022
No matter where you're standing on Earth, you can only ever see one face of the Moon. Its other cheek is perennially turned away from our planet, and this far side is much more pockmarked with craters than the one facing us.
The Moon's near side is covered in lunar maria, vast plains of volcanic basalt that appear as dark patches when we look up at our satellite. The reason for this two-faced appearance has remained a mystery – one that's persisted since the first spacecraft orbited the Moon in the 1960s. But a new simulation might now have solved the Apollo-era puzzle.
Piecing together the different features, computer models support the idea that a massive lunar impact once resurfaced the Moon's near side in lava flows. The differences are more than skin deep, since they're also reflected by distinct geological compositions on each side of the Moon."...
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