Why can't you see the far side of the Moon?
From Earth, you can only see one side of the Moon. This is because of the way the Moon spins as it orbits the Earth. The side that faces Earth is named the near side of the Moon. The other half of the Moon (that half of a sphere that always faces away from Earth) is called the far side of the Moon.
In 1959, Russia sent the Luna 3 spacecraft to the Moon. It took a picture of the far side of the Moon. Then in 1968 on Christmas eve, three men, Borman, Lovell, and Anders saw the far side of the moon with their own eyes as their Apollo 8 spacecraft orbited the Moon.
Anders described the far side of the Moon as being the color of dirty beach sand. He also saw a land that was full of craters.
Submitted by Matthew (age 13, Georgia, USA)
(October 1, 1997)
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