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1782:
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that were created by asteroid impacts about four billion years ago. Though both sides of the Moon were bombarded by similarly large impactors, the near side hemisphere crust and upper mantle was hotter than that of the far side, resulting in the larger impact craters. These larger impact craters make
182:
On the equator, when the Moon rises in the east, its N — S axis appears horizontal and Mare
Foecunditatis is on top. When it sets in the west, about 12.5 hours later, the axis is still horizontal, and Oceanus Procellarum is the last area to dip below the horizon. In between these events, the Moon
143:
The image of the Moon here is drawn as is normally shown on maps, that is with north on top and west to the left. Astronomers traditionally turn the map to have south on top to correspond with the northern-hemisphere view in astronomical telescopes, which typically show the image upside down.
190:
In mid southern latitudes (South
America, South Pacific, Australia, South Africa) the Moon rises in the east with its southeastern limb up (Mare Nectaris), it reaches its highest point in the north with its south on top, and sets in the west with its southwestern limb (Mare Humorum) on
178:
In mid northern latitudes (North
America, Europe, Asia) the Moon rises in the east with its northeastern limb up (Mare Crisium), it reaches its highest point in the south with its north on top, and sets in the west with its northwestern limb (Mare Imbrium) on
147:
West and east on the Moon are where they would be expected, when standing on the Moon. But when the Moon is seen from Earth, then the east–west direction is reversed. When specifying coordinates on the Moon it should therefore always be mentioned whether
1758:
446:
Miljković, Katarina; Wieczorek, Mark A.; Collins, Gareth S.; Laneuville, Matthieu; Neumann, Gregory A.; Melosh, H. Jay; Solomon, Sean C.; Phillips, Roger J.; Smith, David E.; Zuber, Maria T. (8 November 2013).
330:
has a battered, densely cratered appearance with few maria. Only 1% of the surface of the far side is covered by maria, compared to 31.2% on the near side. According to research analyzed by NASA's
1705:
425:
1663:
1698:
1691:
1338:
20:
509:
1272:
331:
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417:
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is visible from Earth because the Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that the Moon orbits the Earth—a situation known as
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494:
540:
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244:
224:
1736:
1721:
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is thinner on the near side compared to the far side. The dark splotches that make up the large lunar maria are
104:
allows up to 59% of the Moon's surface to be viewed from Earth (though only half at any moment from any point).
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956:
761:
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The two hemispheres have distinctly different appearances, with the near side covered in multiple, large
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612:
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979:
947:
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1361:
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390:
J. J. Gillis; P. D. Spudis (1996). "The
Composition and Geologic Setting of Lunar Far Side Maria".
311:
1684:
1315:
1189:
929:
619:
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360:
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The Moon's actual orientation in Earth's sky or on the horizon depends on the viewers geographic
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74:
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On the south pole the Moon behaves as on the north pole, but there it appears with
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On the north pole, if the Moon is visible, it stands low above the horizon with
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on Earth. In the following description a few typical cases will be considered.
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by the astronomers who first mapped them, in the 17th century (notably,
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1120:
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and then its selenographic directions are lined up with those on Earth.
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31:
288:
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334:(GRAIL) mission, the reason for the difference is because the Moon's
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1513:
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164:
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73:. Sometimes the dark portion of the Moon is faintly visible due to
747:
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507:
NASA's
Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) Mission
501:
Ralph
Aeschliman Planetary Cartography and Graphics: Lunar Maps
315:
302:(Latin for 'seas'). These lowlands were believed to be seas of
184:
21:
Right- and left-hand traffic § Road vehicle configurations
19:"Nearside" redirects here. For the usage in road vehicles, see
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1062:
685:
47:
26:
1453:
809:
549:
418:"Moon's Blotchy Near Side Has Bigger Craters Than Expected"
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55:
1820:
69:, and the cyclically varying viewing conditions cause the
66:
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81:
reflected from the surface of Earth and onto the Moon.
1797:
206:
Schematics of moonrise on different Earth latitudes
46:is the lunar hemisphere that always faces towards
490:Lunar and Planetary Institute: Exploring the Moon
1869:
234:– rectangular structure (visible – topography –
534:
495:Lunar and Planetary Institute: Lunar Atlases
541:
527:
292:Changing landscape between the hemispheres
332:Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory
287:
201:
131:
111:The near side as observed (from Earth's
106:
65:The Moon is directly illuminated by the
25:
16:Hemisphere of the Moon facing the Earth
1870:
522:
351:references from popular mythology.
13:
14:
1894:
1759:Lilith (hypothetical second moon)
483:
183:reached its highest point in the
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1843:
1831:
1819:
1807:
1781:
1780:
1722:Moon landing conspiracy theories
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1144:Selenographic coordinate system
428:from the original on 2021-10-06
1671:Artificial objects on the Moon
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410:
383:
277:
127:
1:
762:Total penumbral lunar eclipse
376:
366:Lists of astronomical objects
318:exist on the Moon, the term "
270:– closeup (artist's concept).
1737:Moon is made of green cheese
1031:Permanently shadowed craters
138:Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter
38:on the near side of the Moon
7:
497:(archived 18 December 2011)
392:Lunar and Planetary Science
354:
10:
1899:
1664:Craters named after people
1137:Transient lunar phenomenon
785:Solar eclipses on the Moon
503:(archived 6 February 2004)
308:Giovanni Battista Riccioli
281:
156:) coordinates are used or
18:
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1314:
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856:
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314:). Although no bodies of
115:) over the course of one
548:
312:Francesco Maria Grimaldi
136:Detailed view by NASA's
1685:Moon in science fiction
1190:Giant-impact hypothesis
1038:South Pole–Aitken basin
465:10.1126/science.1243224
361:Giant impact hypothesis
236:GRAIL gravity gradients
54:. Only one side of the
30:The names of the major
1706:futuristic exploration
1229:Late Heavy Bombardment
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207:
140:
124:
39:
1766:Splitting of the Moon
1678:Memorials on the Moon
1282:Lunar sample displays
964:Peak of eternal light
291:
205:
135:
110:
44:near side of the Moon
29:
238:) (October 1, 2014).
77:, which is indirect
1266:Lunar laser ranging
404:1996LPI....27..413G
284:Geology of the Moon
217:("Ocean of Storms")
215:Oceanus Procellarum
113:Northern Hemisphere
1415:Lunisolar calendar
1084:Lunar basalt 70017
831:Tidal acceleration
686:Perigee and apogee
576:Internal structure
512:2022-11-26 at the
449:"Science Magazine"
294:
208:
141:
125:
50:, opposite to the
40:
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1745:Natural satellite
1204:Lunar magma ocean
980:Volcanic features
459:(6159): 724–726.
326:) is still used.
88:is both somewhat
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1305:Lunar seismology
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672:Orbital elements
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98:equatorial plane
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1648:Man in the Moon
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1573:Daily phenomena
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1521:Super and micro
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1385:Lunar resources
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1468:Lunar distance
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1408:Lunar calendar
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1114:Micrometeorite
1103:
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1091:Changesite-(Y)
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1070:Wrinkle ridges
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665:Lunar distance
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613:Magnetic field
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484:External links
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424:. 2013-11-13.
422:Universe Today
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173:its north pole
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119:, showing the
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1883:Lunar science
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1752:Double planet
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1634:Moon illusion
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1613:Lunar deities
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1395:Time-telling
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1862:Solar System
1620:Lunar effect
1436:Nodal period
1362:Colonization
1176:Lunar theory
894:
869:Selenography
709:Nodal period
456:
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430:. Retrieved
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328:The far side
323:
319:
298:
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268:rift valleys
252:rift valleys
232:rift valleys
162:
158:astronomical
146:
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86:Moon's orbit
83:
71:lunar phases
64:
43:
41:
1878:Hemispheres
1850:Outer space
1838:Spaceflight
1729:Moon Treaty
1713:Hollow Moon
1655:Moon rabbit
1627:Earth phase
1429:Lunar month
1316:Exploration
1260:Experiments
1162:Observation
1024:Ray systems
889:Hemispheres
857:Surface and
838:Tidal range
817:Tidal force
620:Sodium tail
604:Hill sphere
371:Moon rabbit
322:" (plural:
304:lunar water
278:Differences
152:(or rather
128:Orientation
1872:Categories
1699:Apollo era
1641:Pareidolia
1399:navigation
1121:Sputtering
1001:Lava tubes
923:South pole
916:North pole
876:Terminator
718:Precession
634:Earthshine
590:Atmosphere
583:Topography
568:properties
432:2021-10-06
377:References
282:See also:
254:– context.
150:geographic
90:elliptical
84:Since the
75:earthshine
1814:Astronomy
1447:Fortnight
1339:Explorers
1296:Apollo 17
1289:Apollo 11
1252:Volcanism
1222:Timescale
1169:Libration
957:Mountains
895:Near side
801:Supermoon
741:Full moon
695:Libration
627:Moonlight
121:libration
102:libration
34:and some
1786:Category
1581:Moonrise
1514:Crescent
1454:Sennight
1369:Moonbase
1325:Missions
994:Calderas
902:Far side
860:features
748:Eclipses
734:New moon
679:Distance
566:Physical
510:Archived
473:24202170
426:Archived
355:See also
342:-filled
266:Ancient
250:Ancient
230:Ancient
165:latitude
94:inclined
79:sunlight
52:far side
1800:Portals
1605:Related
1595:Moonset
1378:Tourism
1355:Landing
1215:Geology
1154:Science
1010:Craters
973:Valleys
559:Outline
453:Science
400:Bibcode
398:: 413.
347:up the
213:Moon –
123:effects
96:to its
36:craters
1563:Tetrad
1479:Phases
1348:Probes
1183:Origin
1130:Quakes
1063:Rilles
1054:swirls
769:Tetrad
727:Syzygy
471:
316:liquid
185:zenith
1826:Stars
1542:Black
1528:Blood
1505:Names
1483:names
1422:Month
1273:ALSEP
1245:KREEP
1197:Theia
1100:Water
1077:Rocks
987:Domes
941:Maria
910:Poles
702:Nodes
656:Orbit
336:crust
324:maria
299:maria
117:month
48:Earth
32:maria
1692:list
1549:Dark
1535:Blue
1498:Full
1397:and
1047:Soil
1017:List
948:List
930:Face
883:Limb
810:Tide
550:Moon
469:PMID
340:lava
320:mare
310:and
191:top.
179:top.
92:and
56:Moon
42:The
1556:Wet
1491:New
1481:and
461:doi
457:342
198:up.
175:up.
67:Sun
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