Cool Time Lapse of the Rotating Moon

[Rusty Heap]

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200719.html

[masraum]

Very cool. Funny, the "dark side" didn't look that dark.

[RNajarian]

. . . and the Far Side didn’t seem that far.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by RNajarian

. . . and the Far Side didn’t seem that far.

^^^ Another dropout of the "Midvale School For The Gifted" .... I presume ?

[Rusty Heap]

[Pazuzu]

There is a very obvious difference between the near and far sides of the Moon. It's been locked to the Earth for so long that the internal geology has changed from gravity. All of the seas and lowlands are towards the Earth, since the magma was actually pulled to that side of the body. As well, the hard core of the moon is towards the Earth, it's actually more like a pear than an apple inside...

The far side is littered with craters, it's the side that that has been exposed to outer space for a billion years, it takes the brunt of the impacts from asteroids and comets.

[GH85Carrera]

No doubt, Pink Floyd is responsible for many millions of people believing there is a "Dark Side of the Moon". The moon has likely save the Earth many catastrophic asteroid hits by acting as a shield. Just look at the impact craters on the back side of the moon.

[Steve Carlton]

Cool link- thanks for posting it!

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

The moon has likely save the Earth many catastrophic asteroid hits by acting as a shield. Just look at the impact craters on the back side of the moon.

The clearly defined ejecta is maybe 500 miles in length from impact center on a few of those. There was some big mass slowed right down in a micro second.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

No doubt, Pink Floyd is responsible for many millions of people believing there is a "Dark Side of the Moon". The moon has likely save the Earth many catastrophic asteroid hits by acting as a shield. Just look at the impact craters on the back side of the moon.

‘As a matter of fact, it’s all dark.’

[Zeke]

I didn't check but how long were the astronauts on the surface? They must have seen the sun move as we see it, but just only. A moon day is 30 days long. I guess they really were more or less in the same shadow for the duration.

[otto_kretschmer]

Armstrong and Aldrin were on the moon for 2 1/2 hours before they had to start the journey home.

[RNajarian]

Cernan and Schmitt (Apollo 17) spent a little more than 3 (Earth) days on the moon. I wonder if they noticed the Sun’s movement relative to their position.

Edit: 75 hours ion the lunar surface.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by Zeke

I didn't check but how long were the astronauts on the surface? They must have seen the sun move as we see it, but just only. A moon day is 30 days long. I guess they really were more or less in the same shadow for the duration.

If we define a "day" as the amount of time it takes the sun to return to the same point on the moon's horizon after the moon completes a new revolution around Earth, then every lunar day lasts for 29.5 Earth days. This means that — on every orbit — the moon gets a little over two weeks' worth of daylight followed by an equal amount of nighttime. In other words, almost any given spot on the moon sees two weeks of continuous daylight followed by two weeks of continuous darkness.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

If we define a "day" as the amount of time it takes the sun to return to the same point on the moon's horizon after the moon completes a new revolution around Earth, then every lunar day lasts for 29.5 Earth days. This means that — on every orbit — the moon gets a little over two weeks' worth of daylight followed by an equal amount of nighttime. In other words, almost any given spot on the moon sees two weeks of continuous daylight followed by two weeks of continuous darkness.

I see your point but there is still a slow sunrise and sunset. Lasts 2 weeks. But you put that well since apparently the moon's axis is perpendicular to the sun. According to your description anyway.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by otto_kretschmer

Armstrong and Aldrin were on the moon for 2 1/2 hours before they had to start the journey home.

Eagle was on the surface at Tranquility base for 21 hours, 36 minutes.