Orbiting the Earth, each side of the moon has its own unique qualities
On October 7, 1959, the far side of Moon is seen for the 1st time, courtesy of USSR’s Luna 3 space probe. Tidal forces from Earth have slowed down the Moon’s rotation so that the same side is always facing the Earth, a phenomenon called tidal locking. The other face, most of which is never visible from the Earth, is therefore called the “far side of the Moon”. Luna 3, an automatic interplanetary station, was the third spacecraft successfully launched. The first views of the lunar far side showed a mountainous terrain, very different from the near side we commonly see.
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