Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Dark side of the Moon

Options
  • 12-01-2019 6:48am
    #1
    rusty the athlete
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭


    Would somebody explain to me why the pictures from the Chinese moon-lander of the dark side of the Moon are so well illuminated? Today's pics are even more lit up than the first pictures. Is there a photo flash on board, if so, it must be incredibly powerful as several kilometers seem to be lit up.
    Tagged:


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    Avatar MIA
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,750 ✭✭✭Avatar MIA


    rusty the athlete wrote: »
    Would somebody explain to me why the pictures from the Chinese moon-lander of the dark side of the Moon are so well illuminated? Today's pics are even more lit up than the first pictures. Is there a photo flash on board, if so, it must be incredibly powerful as several kilometers seem to be lit up.

    The Dark side of the moon is a great album.

    But the moon has no side in permanent darkness.

    While the moon is tidal locked to the earth it still spins on its axis. It just does so at the same speed it takes to revolve around the earth, approx 27.3 'days'.

    As it spins around the earth it's at different positions between the earth and the sun giving the moon its phases.

    When you 'see the moon move' in the sky that's mostly down to the earth's spin.

    So, in relation to the sun the moon spins and therefore has a day and night, it's just that its day/night lasts about 14 earth days.


  • Options
    #3
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,066 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    Because they landed on the FAR side of the moon, there is no dark side.


  • Options
    #4
    jochenstacker
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 390 ✭✭jochenstacker


    You just need to set the controls for the heart of the sun.


  • Options
    #5
    rusty the athlete
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭rusty the athlete


    robinph wrote: »
    Because they landed on the FAR side of the moon, there is no dark side.
    Sorry. been listening to Pink Floyd too much.


  • Options
    #6
    rusty the athlete
    Registered Users Posts: 129 ✭✭rusty the athlete


    Avatar MIA wrote: »
    The Dark side of the moon is a great album.

    But the moon has no side in permanent darkness.

    While the moon is tidal locked to the earth it still spins on its axis. It just does so at the same speed it takes to revolve around the earth, approx 27.3 'days'.

    As it spins around the earth it's at different positions between the earth and the sun giving the moon its phases.

    When you 'see the moon move' in the sky that's mostly down to the earth's spin.

    So, in relation to the sun the moon spins and therefore has a day and night, it's just that its day/night lasts about 14 earth days.
    That was a real education, much appreciated!


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Reati
    Registered Users Posts: 1,922 ✭✭✭Reati


    rusty the athlete wrote: »
    Would somebody explain to me why the pictures from the Chinese moon-lander of the dark side of the Moon are so well illuminated? Today's pics are even more lit up than the first pictures. Is there a photo flash on board, if so, it must be incredibly powerful as several kilometers seem to be lit up.

    Its fake, the moon isn’t real. Its actually a control room of largest studio ever constructed... :eek:


  • Options
    #8
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 90,717 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    rusty the athlete wrote: »
    Would somebody explain to me why the pictures from the Chinese moon-lander of the dark side of the Moon are so well illuminated? Today's pics are even more lit up than the first pictures. Is there a photo flash on board, if so, it must be incredibly powerful as several kilometers seem to be lit up.

    The Chinese have been stealing technology from the West for ages, including low light cameras.



    Seriously they have the Queqiao relay satellite in a LaGrange orbit of the Moon-Earth system and it's in perpetual sunshine. :rolleyes:

    CAST-ChangE3-Queqiao-anim.gif


  • Options
    #9
    JupiterKid
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 12,575 Mod ✭✭✭✭JupiterKid


    And here is a panorama image of the Chang’e 4 lander on the dark I mean far side of the moon...

    Cool!

    56626b9dffca86268cd09980fd33c9aa?width=650


  • Options
    #10
    ThunderCat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,385 ✭✭✭ThunderCat


    jochenstacker wrote: »
    You just need to set the controls for the heart of the sun.



    Careful with that axe jochenstacker.


    OP - others have given you a more detailed description but an easy way to visualise it is that when we see a full moon from our vantage point on Earth then the far side of the moon where that Chinese lander is, is in darkness as the part of the moon facing us is also facing the Sun and is illuminated by it. On the flip side, when we see a new moon from our vantage point on Earth it means that the far side of the moon, the side we cannot see which is also the side that the lander is on, is now the side facing the Sun and it is being illuminated. Both sides of the Moon get equal exposure to the Sun, just not at the same rate as the Earth does due to the fact the Earth spins on its axis once a day whereas that same cycle takes the Moon roughly a month.


Advertisement