Why is the dark side of the moon so fascinating? What do we know about her? For the first time in over 40 years, the invisible part of the Silver Globe has been studied by Chinese astrophysicists. What data does the Yutu 2 rover provide? We present the secrets of Luna.
The moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth that has focused human eyes and thoughts for centuries, and its exploration has become the goal of many space missions. The Silver Globe orbits synchronously with our planet, which means we always only see one side of it. This is why his unknown dark face is so puzzling. When Soviet astrophysicists managed to take a picture of the invisible part of the Moon in 1959, we learned that the surface of the other hemisphere was different from that facing our planet.
While the visible part of the Moon is covered by the so-called basalt seas, on the other hand, there are almost all the highlands. Space activities, the purpose of which was to explore the satellite, ended with lunar walks on its visible side. Although the astronauts had the opportunity to land in the other hemisphere during the Apollo 17 mission, they were instructed to select a part of the moon that was already known. For this reason, the invisible side of the celestial body remains a mystery to us, although the recent actions of Chinese astronomers provide a large dose of knowledge about it - but more on that in a moment.
Our satellite feels very close to Earth, especially when we can observe Luna at a full moon. This is because its diameter is just over a quarter that of the Earth, and the Moon itself is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System. It takes about 50 hours for cosmonauts to reach the nearest solid celestial body, despite the relative impression of a short distance.
Due to the fact that the Silver Globe moves in an elliptical orbit, its distance from the center of the Earth changes over the course of a month. The minimum distance at perigee is 363,104 km and reaches 405,696 km at its apogee. The distance of the Earth from the Moon is therefore variable. The total circuit of Luna around the Earth takes 27.3 days, but it may extend by about 2 days. An interesting fact related to the phases of the moon is undoubtedly the so-called The Blue Moon is the second full moon in one month. Note - the satellite does not glow blue then, but the name emphasizes the uniqueness of the event.
It is worth noting that the term "dark side of the moon" is reserved for the part of the globe that is not illuminated in certain phases, which remains shaded and in the sky we see, for example, a boat. The side of the satellite facing the earth is called the visible side, and the other hemisphere is called the invisible one. The fact that we cannot see the other side of the globe does not mean that it remains unlit. It reaches as much sunlight as it does to the visible side of the moon.
A curiosity that concerns astrophysicists is the almost complete absence of basalt seas in the satellite's invisible hemisphere. When we observe Luna from Earth, we see dark spots that were considered seas by the ancient explorers of the celestial spheres. These are actually areas of solidified magma, but only 2% of them on the far side of the moon. The reason for this distribution of basalt has not yet been found, but it is already known that the visible side of the satellite is covered with deposits of radioactive elements to a much greater extent than the other hemisphere.
Our planet's moon was repeatedly researched and explored at the turn of the 1960s and 1970s, while after the completion of the Apollo series of missions, further studies were discontinued until the 21st century. One of the biggest curiosities about our satellite, which has occupied researchers for years, is the so-called the dark side of the moon. Since the Soviet unmanned space probe Luna 3 in 1959 of the last century took a picture of the "other" side of the Silver Globe, astronomers have asked a lot of questions about the genesis of the radically different appearance of the two hemispheres of the satellite.
In 1965, pictures of the far side of the moon were taken again. The Soviet probe Zond 3, which was supposed to be a technical probe, was sent into space to conduct a series of scientific studies. During the flight, the probe took 25 photos. Thanks to it, about 1,000 craters have been identified, and it has been proven that the sea areas on the other side of the moon are not aligned with magma, but covered with numerous craters. Additional information allowed us to conclude that our satellite has very low UV radiation.
Since only 12 people have walked the moon so far, and no manned satellite exploration mission has been carried out since 1972, there are many conspiracy theories about its unexplored side. The most popular of these concerns the existence of a developed extraterrestrial civilization. Why would aliens exist on the moon? The theory is closely related to the course of the Apollo 11 mission, during which, allegedly, Armstrong himself experienced a visual encounter with a UFO, as evidenced by recordings of conversations with the command station during the flight.
Another interesting theory is the one that talks about the invisible side of the moon as the place where ancient civilizations settled. It is known for a long time that the lunar cult in Egyptian and Aztec circles was of great importance. Hence there are speculations that these people, sensing the collapse of their earthly civilizations, settled on the moon. Theories related to the lunar cult also talk about the existence of ancient gods on the unexplored side of the Silver Globe. How is it really? Until recently, we could only speculate, but Chinese astrophysicists finally decided to investigate the unknown.
In 2019, the Yutu 2 rover (Jade Rabbit 2), as the first probe in history, landed softly on an undiscovered part of the Moon. From then until April 2021, he traveled a distance of approx. 700 m, collecting geological information on the satellite's surface. It has been established so far that the surface of the satellite is multi-layered and composed of various types of rocks. Experts recognize that the Lunar Penetrating Radar could provide vital information on the evolution of our Moon and thus confirm the well-known theory of the big collision.
Yutu 2's research could help to finally elucidate the presence of basalt seas and radioactive elements on the satellite's surface. The mission led by Chinese astronomers is not limited to studying the area. Cotton seeds and yeast kernels were sent to the moon to see if any kind of cultivation would be possible under the conditions there. However, the unfavorable temperature differences do not allow any plants to grow.
Despite its setback, studying the potential for growth of any kind of organism yields much specific data that could help humanity build space colonization plans. It is worth noting that the experiments conducted on the Silver Globe showed the presence of trace amounts of water in the rocks there - molecules of oxygen and hydrogen were detected during the Apollo series of missions, but it was then found that they found their way into the materials obtained on the Moon after leaving it.
Will the new data provided by the Jade Rabbit help us better understand the cosmos? Maybe the traces of life in space will finally be discovered. If not, resuming research on the moon will have many answers and help us better prepare for the visionaries' planned colonization of distant planets. One thing is for sure - the secrets of the invisible side of the satellite are slowly being learned, and this is a huge step for researchers of celestial bodies.
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