The Same Moon
Everyone on Earth sees the same face of the Moon. On the other side of the world, it just looks upside down.
What’s going on
The Moon spins once on its axis in exactly the time it takes to circle Earth, so the same side always faces us. This is called tidal locking. Every person in history has looked up at the same dark plains and bright craters. But the view turns with you: someone in the opposite hemisphere sees the pattern upside down, which is one reason different cultures have seen different pictures in the Moon.
Myth
The far side of the Moon is always dark.
Fact
It gets just as much sunlight as the near side; we simply never see it from Earth.
Learn more
NASA Space Place, “All About the Moon” (spaceplace.nasa.gov); EarthDate, University of Texas at Austin, on the Moon’s face seen from each hemisphere.
Look up tonight
Whenever the Moon is up, look for its dark patches. If you know someone in the other hemisphere, ask them what they see.
Play Myth or Fact? Read out either the sentence on the card or the myth above. Can everyone tell which is true?
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