Why does the far side of the moon look different than the near side?

Question

The side facing us has the large craters, the other side doesn't.

Answer 1

The reason for this is because early in the moon's life, when it was just starting to cool, it did not have the tidal locking with the earth that it does now. It was spinning at a much more rapid rate, so all the sides of the moon would be exposed to space at different times. During this time, large asteroids were commonly hit the moon, creating much larger craters then smaller asteroids.



Eventually the Earth's rotation forced the moon to move further away from the Earth, as well as for the tidal locking we have today, where one side of the moon is always facing Earth. After this happened, the millions of years to follow brought forth much smaller asteroids than were common in the beginning of out solar system, so they would create much smaller craters on the moon, and eventually helped to level the surface. The inside of the moon, which was no longer exposed to outer space, didn't get this same treatment, so its larger craters still remain intact. And with no atmosphere on the moon, it can't naturally remove its craters.



This is why the far side of the mean is much more level than the side facing us.

Answer 2

the workstation simulation fashions for the effect concept in many cases shows 2 Moons forming and in diverse the fashions, they crashed at the same time a number of million years after formation. the basis is that the farside isn't comparable to the nearside with the aid of fact that's the squashed keeps to be of yet another Moon, the consequent irregularity interior the form of the Moon, led to tidal forces rotating the a ways part far flung from the Earth. the present GRAIL area probes would desire to help point out if our Moon is relatively 2 Moons splatted at the same time.

Answer 3

The far side is constantly hit by small meteor which erase the large impact craters. The earth shields the near side from impacts

Answer 4

Oh, but it does...



If you look at the attached image, you will see a very large crater, complete with ejecta traces at about 2:00 o'clock, 1/3 of the way from the center of the image to the edge.



There is a similar one right below it...

Answer 5

I heard we tested nuclear weapons on the dark side of the moon. Then we found extraterrestrial bases on it. Maybe they protect it from meteors?

Answer 6

We never see the other side of the moon.....