Farside
Contents
The Moon's Farside
Description
Since the Moon's rotation is tidally locked to the Earth, one side points constantly towards the Earth. Hence for observer's on our planet, it has a "nearside", which we can see, and a "farside", which we can't. Knowledge of features on the Moon's farside has increased gradually as spacecraft provide new glimpses of it.
Maps
- A 1953 prediction of the farside's appearance by H.P. Wilkins
- LRO LOLA Topo Map (Scroll to bottom, date of 3.12.2010)
- Maurice Collins' Farside Map with nomenclature.
Additional Information
Images of the Farside from Succeeding Generations of Spacecraft
Lunar Orbiter IV (1967)
image source: LPOD Gallery
Clementine (1992)
image source: LPOD Gallery
Chang'e-1 (2007-2008)
image source: LPOD Gallery
LPOD Articles
- A quadrant of the farside - Moscovience quadrant
- Another quarter of the farside - SPA quadrant
- Amazing farside view - Lunar Orbiter mosaic
Bibliography
- Roy, A., Wright, J. T., Sigurdsson, S. (2014). Earthshine on a Young Moon: Explaining the Lunar Farside Highlands – The Astrophysical Journal Letters Vol. 788, No. 2, Doi:10.1088/2041-8205/788/2/L42. Published Online 9 June 2014.
- Wood, C.A. (2008) The Farside of the Moon. Sky & Telescope (approximate title)
