The far side of the Moon has been widely studied in recent years. Recently, the Chinese mission Chang’e-6 returned to our planet with lunar samples collected in a basin in the region, which will be extensively analyzed over the next few months or even years.
There is only one visible side of the Moon for those on Earth; the other side is called hidden because it always faces away from the planet. But that’s not the only reason there is a tone of mystery about the topic. The site also has a different geological surface, with many craters and a reduced number of basalt plains (seas).
In addition to being a region that is difficult to observe by nature, it has also been explored very few times by humanity. The first time that civilization landed an unmanned probe in that area occurred in 2019, during the mission Chang’e-4. The second time occurred with the landing of the Chang’e-6 lunar module this year.
What is the far side of the Moon?
Mirian Castejon, astronomer at the Ibirapuera Planetarium, in São Paulo, explains that the hidden side of the Moon is always out of observation from Earth because the natural satellite takes the same time to rotate around its axis as it does around the Earth. In other words, this region is not visible due to the Moon’s orbital behavior in relation to our planet, a phenomenon called synchronous movement.
As a result of this synchronicity, observers on Earth can only see the Moon with one side “frozen” and, apparently, without rotation. It is precisely this influence between the satellite and our planet that causes the peculiar characteristic, but scientists are still trying to understand why this lunar point is so different.
The first time the far side of the Moon It was duly observed in mid-1959, after the Russian spacecraft Luna 3 photographed the region. Although it is also popularly known as the “dark side of the Moon”, Castejon states that the expression is not correct, as the Sun illuminates the entire Moon.
One of the biggest differences on the non-visible side of the Moon is the large number of craters. Generally, people believe this is because this side is more exposed to impacts from rocks arriving from space, but all sides of the satellite are impacted in the same way.
Current data suggest that the far side has a much thicker crust, a feature that may have prevented the volcanic activity covered the craters with basaltic lava. Perhaps that’s why this part of the lunar surface has so many craters.
“Both China and the United States intend to send manned missions to the Moon in the near future. The idea is to study our satellite with the aim of building a fixed base on the Moon. Understanding the geology and the best places to establish a base is of fundamental interest to these agencies. Furthermore, researchers are eager to study the material brought back from the Chinese Chang’e-6 mission, as it will be the first time they will have access to samples from the far side of the Moon,” Castejon explains to CNN.
Learn more about the Chang’e 6 Mission
On June 1, 2024, the Chang’e-6 lunar probe landed on the far side of the Moon, and China became the first country to display its national flag in the region — the launch took place on May 3. The vehicle landed (made a lunar landing) in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, where it collected samples from the satellite’s surface with the aid of a drill and a robotic arm. It was the second time that the Chinese landed there.
After the module returned to a base in northern Mongolia, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that the mission was a complete success. On June 28, the samples were taken to the Chinese Academy of Sciences and, for the first time, scientists will be able to analyze rocks collected on the far side of the Moon.
The samples will be analyzed by Chinese scientists, but will also pass through the laboratories of other researchers from different parts of the world. The Chang’e-6 team says the samples may differ from those collected in the visible region of the Moon, as they appear to be stickier and thicker. The researchers’ goal is to understand the evolution of the Moon and other objects in the Solar systemlike the Earth itself.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping described the occasion as a key milestone for the country, but stressed that it is not the end of lunar exploration efforts. By 2030, CNSA plans to send a manned mission to the natural satellite, with the aim of building a lunar base.
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