A massive Moon mystery explained

Space scientists now understand why the Moon's faces look so different.

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Scientists from the US space agency NASA have discovered new evidence that solves a long-standing mystery — and proves an old theory — about why the two sides of the Moon look completely different to one another. They have found that the side of the Moon that faces Earth is more bendy under the surface than the other side.

You can't see the Moon's far side from Earth because the same side always faces the planet. This is because the Moon takes exactly the same time to rotate as it takes to orbit Earth. The near-side face we see is covered with dark patches. These are giant plains of ancient lava from volcanic eruptions. The far side, facing away from Earth, is more mountainous, with fewer plains, and is covered in craters. Scientists have long suspected that the Moon's mismatched faces may be linked to differences deep within its interior, and now they have found evidence to prove it.