Why does the other side of the Moon look so different?

Why does the other side of the Moon look so different?

The near side of the moon (left) looks very different from the far side. The American Geophysical Union announced a new study on May 20, 2019, based on new evidence about the moon’s crust, suggesting the differences were caused by a wayward dwarf planet colliding with the moon in the early history of the solar system.

Which side of the Moon has more crater marks?

Near Side
The near side of the moon hosts larger impact basins than the satellite’s far side, and the explanation lies in key differences between the two hemispheres, a new study suggests.

Why the far side of the moon is different to the near side and why?

Earth’s Moon has a ‘near side’ that is perpetually Earth-facing and a ‘far side’, which always faces away from Earth. The apparent early dynamism of the Moon challenges this idea. New data suggest this is because radioactive elements were distributed uniquely after the catastrophic Moon-forming collision.

Why does the Moon have two sides?

This Cosmic Crash May Be Why. Ours is a moon with two faces: the nearside boasts a thinner and smoother crust, while the farside crust is thicker and dotted by impact craters left nearly undisturbed by lava flows.

Why are there more craters on the poles of the Moon?

The lunar south pole is the southernmost point on the Moon, at 90°S. It is of special interest to scientists because of the occurrence of water ice in permanently shadowed areas around it. The lunar south pole region features craters that are unique in that the near-constant sunlight does not reach their interior.

Why do we only see one side of the Moon?

The Moon orbits Earth once every 27.3 days and spins on its axis once every 27.3 days. This means that although the Moon is rotating, it always keeps one face toward us. Known as “synchronous rotation,” this is why we only ever see the Moon’s nearside from Earth.

Why does the Moon have a far side?

Tidal forces from Earth have slowed the Moon’s rotation to the point where the same side is always facing the Earth—a phenomenon called tidal locking. The other face, most of which is never visible from the Earth, is therefore called the “far side of the Moon”. This is, as stated, a result of tidal locking.

Why does the Moon look close?

“When the moon is near the horizon, the ground and horizon make the moon appear relatively close. Because the moon is changing its apparent position in depth while the light stimulus remains constant, the brain’s size-distance mechanism changes its perceived size and makes the moon appear very large.

Why is the Moon thicker on one side?

The difference in temperature between the moon’s halves influenced the formation of its crust. Eventually, these elements combined with silicates in the mantle of the moon to form minerals known as plagioclase feldspars, making the crust of the far side about twice as thick as that of the near side.

Why are there more craters on the far side of the Moon?

The real reason there are more impact craters on the far side of the Moon is that the near side has a much thinner crust which has allowed volcanoes to erupt and fill in ancient large basins (or large impact craters).

Why does Earth have so few craters on its surface?

Mercury and the Moon are covered with impact craters; their surfaces are very old. Venus has fewer craters; its surface has been covered recently (in the last 500 million years!) by lava flows that obscured the older craters. Much of Earth’s surface is recycled through plate tectonic activity (and erosion), so Earth also has few craters.

How many craters are there on the Moon and Earth?

But we can see many thousands of craters on the Moon and we only know of about 180 on Earth! Why is that? The truth is both the Earth and the Moon have been hit many, many times throughout their long 4.5 billion year history. This view of the Moon’s cratered South Pole was seen by NASA’s Clementine spacecraft in 1996.

Is the Moon’s topography similar on both sides?

“We didn’t have to look at topography nearly at all, just at the crust thickness,” says Miljkovi. The researchers found that although both sides of the Moon had the same total number of impact craters, the near side had eight basins larger than 320 kilometres in diameter, whereas the far side had only one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cFLhim9ej0