why can't you see the dark side of the moon?

Answer 1

The moon rotates once on its axis during each revolution it makes orbiting the earth.
Because of this the same side of the moon is always facing the earth.
Therefore the same side of the moon is always visible from the earth.
Seen from the other side the moon is not dark but would appear to go through similar phases as seen from earth.

Answer 2

The 'Dark Side of the Moon' is a misnomer really. A better term is the far side. When the Moon is 'New' we cannot, or barely, see it ,but the far side is actually sunlit while the Earthward facing side is in darkness,

The Moon orbits Earth and does move on its axis but in such a way that one side always points to Earth. This is known as 'captured' or synchronous' rotation. So, its rotational period is the same as its period of orbiting Earth. Thus, the far side of the Moon is never seen from Earth.

Actually, that's not quite true. The Moon wobbles a little in its orbit (an effect called libration) and over a period of time it is possible to see 57% of the Moon's surface, though of course only 50% at a time.

On the other hand, get into space craft and fly round the back of the Moon, as it were. As several astronauts have done.

Answer 3

We CAN see the dark side of the moon:

Go out and look west the second day after new moon just in the first 90 minutes after sunset. You will see the thin crescent of the moon and about 80% of the dark side getting some dim light reflected from the earth so that you can see even such details as theTycho crater on the dark side of the moon with the unaided eye or with small binoculars.

Your question is not based on observable facts.

We CAN see the dark side of the moon, at least once a month under clear weather conditions.

Answer 4

There isn't a side of the Moon that is always dark. when we're seeing a New Moon, the far side of the Moon is lit up and our side is the dark side of the Moon. When we're seeing a Full Moon, then our side is lit up, and the far side is the dark side of the Moon.

You can't see the far side because the Moon revolves around the Earth (so to speak) in the same amount of time it takes for the Moon to spin on it's axis, so the same side is always facing us.

You can see the dark side near a New Moon. Go out when there is just a sliver of a Moon, and you will notice that you can see the darkened part that isn't lit up. This is because Sunlight reflects off of Earth and hits the Moon. By the time that light hits the Moon and bounces back to us, it isn't very bright. The part of the Moon that is lit up (the sliver) is being hit by direct sunlight, which then bounces to us.

Answer 5

There is no "DARK SIDE" of the Moon. There is a "FAR SIDE" of the Moon. The Moon makes one complete rotation each month as it swings around the Earth. Since it does rotate, albeit slowly and in step with the Earth so that the same side always faces the Earth, illumination from the Sun gets to shine onto every part of the Moon's surface during the course of its one month rotation period.

The phrase "Dark Side" is a misnomer, i.e., incorrect term.

Answer 6

You can't see anything that's dark, obviously. But your question needs clarification. The phrase "dark side of the moon" doe not mean the"dark",unlit side. It actually means the side of the moon that faces way from the earth.So you can only see it if you were in a space ship located by the opposite side of the moon.

Answer 7

"the dark side"- that sounds scary ! what is the dark site of the moon ?
the moon only faces on side of it to the earth because of the way it turns around earth and around itself

Answer 8

tech speaking there is no such thing as a desinated dark side, only that one side of the moon is always facing away from the sun, so the side not facing the sun can not reflect enough light to be seen by our eyes

its sorta like looking at someone in front of a light sorce, because you can only see reflected light, you cant see the side facing you because no light is being reflected back into your eyes

its also like trying to see in pitch black night, because there is no light being reflected around, no light reaches your eyes, so no image is ever created by your eyes (and brain) and thus appears black

Answer 9

Because Earth's gravity has locked the moon's rotation so that the same side always faces Earth. The far side always faces away from Earth.

Answer 10

Well, when the side facing US is dark, you can still kinda see it - Earth glow lights it up. When the far side is dark, heck - even when it's LIGHT, you can't see it because, well, it's on the FAR SIDE.