Near Side Of The Moon
The near side of the Moon is the lunar hemisphere that always faces towards Earth, opposite to the far side. Only one side of the Moon 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 tidal locking. The Moon is directly illuminated by the Sun, and the cyclically varying viewing conditions cause the lunar phases. Sometimes the dark portion of the Moon is faintly visible due to earthshine, which is indirect sunlight reflected from the surface of Earth and onto the Moon. Since the Moon's orbit is both somewhat elliptical and inclined to its equatorial plane, libration allows up to 59% of the Moon's surface to be viewed from Earth (though only half at any moment from any point). Orientation 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-h ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  

Moon Names
The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the List of natural satellites, fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of Australia (continent), Australia). The Moon is a planetary-mass object with a planetary differentiation, differentiated Terrestrial planet, rocky body, making it a satellite planet under the geophysical definition of planet, geophysical definitions of the term and larger than all known dwarf planets of the Solar System. It lacks any significant Atmosphere of the Moon, atmosphere, hydrosphere, or Magnetic field of the Moon, magnetic field. Its surface gravity is about one-sixth of Earth's at , with Jupiter's moon Io (moon), Io being the only satellite in the Solar System known to have a higher surface gravity and density. The Moon orbits Earth at an lunar distance (astronomy), average distance of , or about 30 tim ...
[...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]