See if you can make out the dark areas on the waxing gibbous moon tonight (September 15, 2013). These smooth, low-lying lunar plains are called mare (singular) or maria (plural), the Latin words for sea or seas. You should be able to see the darkened portions on the moon with the eye alone. This collection of lunar plains – the solidified remnants of ancient seas of molten magma – actually make the near side of the moon reflect less light than the far side, which lacks the maria. So, in terms of reflectivity, the moon’s near side is its darker side.
If you’d like to scrutinize the maria more closely, use binoculars or the telescope. Remember, the view will be best around the time of sunset or early dusk – before the dark of night accentuates the moon’s glare.
In times past, astronomers really thought the dark areas contrasting with the light-colored, heavily-crated highlands were lunar seas. In some ways they were correct, except that these were seas of molten magma instead of water. Now solidified, this molten rock came from volcanic eruptions that flooded the lunar lowlands. However, volcanic activity – at least from basaltic volcanoes – is now a thing of the moon’s past.
Believe it or not, the moon?s near side is its dark side | Tonight | EarthSky
If you’d like to scrutinize the maria more closely, use binoculars or the telescope. Remember, the view will be best around the time of sunset or early dusk – before the dark of night accentuates the moon’s glare.
In times past, astronomers really thought the dark areas contrasting with the light-colored, heavily-crated highlands were lunar seas. In some ways they were correct, except that these were seas of molten magma instead of water. Now solidified, this molten rock came from volcanic eruptions that flooded the lunar lowlands. However, volcanic activity – at least from basaltic volcanoes – is now a thing of the moon’s past.
Believe it or not, the moon?s near side is its dark side | Tonight | EarthSky
