When you look up at the full moon, you see what looks like a face (known as the man on the moon). When the moon is half, you see half of a face, but from what I've learned, there is a side of the moon that is always dark, and the other side always light. If this is true, then why do I see half of a face on the moon, rather than see a totally different design of craters?
2006-07-02 14:21:00 · 7 answers · asked by flameofthewitch 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The "dark side of the moon" is a misnomer - it's just the side that we never see. It gets just as much light as the side that faces us.
The moon is locked in a rotation speed that makes it so that the same side is always facing us.
On a somewhat related note, I've always thought the Lady in the Moon was much cooler and much more obvious and more detailed. Take a look at the link to see what I'm talking about. I can't look at a full moon without seeing the lady, but I have to squint to see the man.
2006-07-02 14:30:22 · answer #1 · answered by Waynez 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you look up at the moon at night you notice that the moon's "shape" has changed. This is called the different phases of the moon (new, waxing, full, and waning). The Earth spins on its axis ("in place") as it also spins around the sun in a big oval shape. The moon then circles the Earth, always keeping the "man-in-the-moon's face looking at the Earth". The reason why the moon's phases change are because of the position of the moon in relation to the Earth and the Sun. When it is a new moon the moon is between the Sun and the Earth so the side of the moon that always faces us is not lit up. When it is a full moon the Earth is between the full moon and the Sun.
These websites will help show you:
2006-07-03 02:00:31 · answer #2 · answered by wwj 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The same side of the moon always faces us. The moon reflects sunlight and when the earth gets between the sun and the moon the earth's shadow darkens part of the face. When we get out of the way of the light we have a full face again!
2006-07-02 22:34:24 · answer #3 · answered by Elwood 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no 'dark side of the moon.'
Think about when there is a solar eclipse. The opposite side of the moon is completely illuminated at that point.
What I'd like to know (and may post a question asking this) is how is it that the moon's rotation is exactly the same as the rate at which it orbits the earth, resulting in the fact that we do always see the same face, as you mentioned. It seems to me that this couldn't be coincidence and probably is the result of the moon having been formed at one time from pieces of the earth released into orbit during a meteor collision.
2006-07-02 22:09:43 · answer #4 · answered by frd050101 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The moon rotates at just the right pace for us to only see one side. We cannot see the far side from earth. That is why it always looks the same. When you see half of it dark, you are look at the same face, just only half of the lit part of the moon is visible. Whoever told you that one side of the moon was always lit was wrong. It is just that one side always faces earth.
2006-07-02 22:45:05 · answer #5 · answered by Nathan W 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You learned wrong. You always see same side of the moon. Sometimes it is turned towards the sun, and you see all of it, sometimes only half of it has sunlight, so you only see half of it.
2006-07-02 21:24:52 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the government has a base on the side that we never see from earth.
2006-07-02 23:31:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋