When Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen embarks on the Artemis 2 mission beyond the moon, part of his duties will involve observing the far side of the moon, a region invisible from Earth. Meanwhile, scientists on Earth will be closely monitoring the mission, as they plan to deploy telescopes and robots to explore this hidden lunar terrain.
The moon presents a unique duality, always showing the same face to Earth due to gravitational forces. While often referred to as the “dark side,” this is a misconception as sunlight evenly illuminates both sides of the moon.
Characterized by rugged terrain and abundant craters, the far side of the moon starkly contrasts with the near side’s flat plains known as “Maria,” meaning seas in Latin. This area is shielded from Earth’s radio interference, making it an ideal location for astronomers to place their radio telescopes.
Access to the far side of the moon is only possible via spacecraft, offering Hansen a rare opportunity to witness sights unseen by most humans since the Apollo missions. Unlike the Apollo astronauts who orbited close to the equator, Hansen will travel 7,500 kilometers beyond the moon, granting him a unique vantage point of the Earth and the moon simultaneously.
During the Artemis mission’s lunar flyby, the crew will closely observe the lunar surface from the spacecraft windows, leveraging the human eye’s ability to discern subtle details crucial for potential landing missions. This hands-on approach allows for the detection of ground conditions such as dust levels and surface roughness.
One notable upcoming mission to the far side is the Japanese TSUKUYOMI, aimed at deploying a lunar radio telescope array to explore the universe’s early days during the dark ages. By detecting faint radio signals emitted by neutral hydrogen gas post-Big Bang, researchers hope to unveil the role of dark matter in shaping the universe’s evolution.
Scheduled to land near the moon’s south pole, TSUKUYOMI will be complemented by other missions like LuSEE Night and NASA’s Farside Seismic Suite, all contributing to the growing interest in lunar exploration and observation.
While human lunar missions focus on colonization and resource exploration, the far side of the moon remains a silent hub for robotic observatories gazing into the cosmos, delving into the universe’s origins and mysteries.