Are We Alone? - The Dark Side of the Moon

Giant structure and clues for extra-terrestrial life

The Dark Side of the Moon is the side of the moon that is permanently hidden from view from the Earth. This is due to a phenomenon called synchronous rotation, where the Moon rotates on its axis at the same rate that it orbits around the Earth. The result is that the same side of the Moon is always facing the Earth. Weird stuff!

Another coincidence is that the Sun is 400 times the diameter of the moon but is also 400 times further away from us. This means that the Moon appears to be almost the same size as the Sun during a total solar eclipse and allows us to witness a “total solar eclipse”.

Whilst humans have been observing the Moon for millennia, the Dark Side remained a mystery. It wasn’t until 1959, when the Soviet Union sent its Luna 3 spacecraft around the moon, that humans were able to get an idea about what lay on the Dark Side.

Whatever your views on the Moon landings are, one fact that is undeniable is that humans have never set foot on the Dark Side of the Moon. Even though it is so close, it remains one of the most unexplored regions in our solar system.

Because of this, numerous alternative theories have cropped up. These range from the Moon being a hollow artificial structure created by ancient humans or aliens to secret lunar bases built by covert military units.

Whilst these theories may sound far-fetched (or maybe they don’t!?), it is true that there are many secrets waiting to be discovered on the Dark Side. Secrets that we might soon start to uncover.

In 2019, China’s Chang’e-4 mission delivered the Yutu-2 rover to the Dark Side, the first time this had ever been done. It has already made strange discoveries that have baffled scientists.