5 things about the dark side of the moon
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The current mission will solve many doubts about the enigma presented by the dark side of the moon. These are 5 things that you know for now
On January 3, Chang'e-4 lunar rover arrived on the hidden side of the moon. Prior to this, in 2013, the Chang'e-3 model had landed on the visible side of the moon. However, what is currently being done by the Chinese rover is an unprecedented act in the world and an advance in space research had has never been seen. Since then, the robot Yutu-2 has begun to travel the dark side of the planet's satellite, although we must still wait for more research on the subject.
Leer en español: 5 cosas que debes saber sobre el lado oscuro de la luna
Meanwhile, these are some facts that are known from the hidden side of the moon:
1. According to El Clarín, "all the faces of the Moon are illuminated by the Sun, during equal periods of time". However, from the Earth, you always see the same dark side. That is why it is said that the dark side of the moon is 'the hidden face'. This happens because the moon, which rotates on its own axis, takes to turn around the same time it takes to rotate around the Earth, always showing the same face.
Read also For the first time in history, the far side of the Moon was reached
2. Thanks to different studies on this side of the moon, it has been possible to know certain things about its composition. For example, during the formation of the satellite, the difference in temperatures between its sides caused the thickness of its crust.
Likewise, Randy Gladstone, co-author of an investigation, according to El Clarín, explains that the darker regions are related to the porosity of the surface, while the reddish sides can mean that there is ice water. That is, the "findings suggest that there could be up to 2% freezing water in some lunar soils permanently in the shade," says Gladstone.
3. According to National Geographic, this side of the moon has a greater amount of craters, having more bumps or prominence. The explanation for this is that, because this part is not facing towards the Earth, it is not protected from asteroids.
4. On the other hand, it is said that the dark side of the moon has fewer dark spots, which are also known as seas. These seas are produced by geological changes in the satellite and the other side has many more, and larger, for example, the largest, called 'Ocean of Storms'.
5. Chang'e-4 rover has a radar to penetrate the surface. In this way you can know what is inside, although on this side of the moon, the crust is thicker. In addition, according to the BBC, because of the position the moon is in, sending information on this side is difficult because it turns its back on the Earth, thus blocking transmission. So, during 2019, China will send another ship to collect the information.
LatinAmerican Post | Juliana Suárez
Translated from: '5 cosas que debes saber sobre el lado oscuro de la luna'
