VISIBLE AND HIDDEN FACES OF THE MOON

The hidden side of the Moon does not look the same as the visible face: it cooled more quickly. More recent lava flows marked the visible face.

The eccentricity of the lunar orbit allows us to see a little more than half of the Moon during a lunar revolution: the libration is shown in the animation below.

Click here to see a complete rotation of the Moon

Click here to see the Moon as seen from Earth for a year