Is the dark side of the moon always dark?

Answer 1

No. But we see only the side that faces earth.

Here's a good diagram that explains it better than I can...


http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/uts/moon2.html

Answer 2

By definition, there is no dark side as all of the moon sees sun light at some point. At Full Moon the back side is away from the sun so it is dark. During New Moon, the backside is facing the Sun so it is light and the side that is always to us and what we see is dark so we dont see it. As the moon goes around us, a proportionate amout is lit and the other half is dark. Basically half of the moon is lit all the time. A mixture of near side and far side.

Answer 3

Yes, it is...I think. See, the moon rotates in such a way that only one side ever looks toward the earth. I think that it's always dark, or just called dark because the earth usually blocks it so much. Or it could just be called the dark side because it's so mysterious. No human has ever been on the dark side of the moon. Ever. We've only been on the side that is closest to earth, because why would we fly to the moon and go around anothe couple hundred miles just to get to the other side? Well, I'm really not that sure, but whatever...

Answer 4

The term "dark component of the moon" is an out of date term. Astronomers choose the term a techniques component of the moon, and assessment it to the close to component of the moon. different than very interior of reach zones that are completely shadowed (many times deep interior of craters), there are actually not any areas of the moon that by no ability get carry of gentle from the sunlight. All components of the moon will get carry of a few sunlight in some unspecified time interior the destiny interior the conventional orbit. The moon rotates one rotation for each orbit around Earth. One component of the moon completely faces Earth, one section completely faces far off from Earth. Named the close to component of the moon and the a techniques component of the moon respectively. This phenomena is termed tidal locking, brought about by an identical forces that reason the sea tides, different than squishing and squashing on the moon instead. while it became called the "dark component of the moon", dark in this occasion isn't the choice of illuminated. dark instead meant mysterious and unknown. Had no longer something to do with the quantity of sunshine shining on it. It became all approximately us human beings no longer understanding what the a techniques component of the moon regarded like. It became dark to us, as in an entire secret. a minimum of, no longer until 1959, while the Soviet probe Luna 3 took the 1st photos of it.

Answer 5

The moon spins slowly enough that as it orbits around earth, the same side always faces the earth. When the moon gets between us and the sun, the backside gets light. There is no permanent "Dark Side of the Moon". [Regardless of what Pink Floyd hoped. But, its still an awesome album.]

Answer 6

The dark side is always dark and the lite side is always lite...it's just that they move so eventually the entire surface is dark as it progresses over a 28 day period and the lite side is lite eventually completely over the same period in it's orbit. The only time the entire moon would be dark at one time (not quite but almost) would be a full moon under a full lunar eclipse.

Answer 7

Yes. The side of the Moon that faces away from the sun is always "dark" if you do not factor in light from stars or light reflected from other planets.

The "dark side of the Moon" is NOT the side that faces the Earth, but it changes slowly as the moon rotates.

Answer 8

Every part of the Moon gets sunlight at some stage every month (except possily some crater floors at the poles) so there is no dark side as in 'not lit'. A far side, but no truly dark side.

The term 'dark side' refers to the moons unseen and therefore unknown side. As in deepest, darkest Africa, or to 'keep someone in the dark'.

Answer 9

No. The moon rotates around it's axis once per each revolution around the earth which is why we always see the same side. All moons (if left alone long enough) will reach this same condition. It has days and nights just like we do, only each day is nearly a month long.

Answer 10

Thats a good one. We would first have to know if the moon is rotating like the earth does as it revolves around the sun. But, I would say it is not always dark.

Answer 11

Man, some of you need to go back to science class! Every bit of the moons surface sees sunlite for every orbit the moon makes around the earth. What do you suppose shines on the back of the moon when a solar eclipse occurs? Duh....the moon has days and nights just as the earth has!