How much of the moon do we actually see?
Quick Facts: The Moon’s Far Side
Visible from Earth: about 59% of the Moon’s surface (thanks to a slight wobble called libration)
Why: the Moon is tidally locked, rotating once every 27.3 days — the same time it takes to orbit Earth
Is it actually dark? No — the far side gets just as much sunlight as the near side, it simply never faces Earth
Why Don’t We See the Far Side of the Moon?
We only see about 59% of the entire #moon because it’s tidally locked in its #orbit with #Earth.
This is why we only see one side of the moon. Perhaps you’re wondering what the moon would look like if it revolved like Earth? Here is a visualisation based on the mapping of the entire moon.
In all, it takes the moon 29.5 days to complete an eight phase cycle. This is called a #synodic or #lunar month.
Thanks for watching!
#astronomy #Earth #learnontiktok #learn #space
Orbit Video by Christian Bodhi #pixabay
Lunar and Tidal Footage: NASA
Artwork, Script and Animations: Jef Gray
Production: International Peace and Film Festival
