In one thousand nine hundred and fifty-ninth, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for the first time in the world showed people what is on the far side of the moon. The photographs were taken from the Luna-3 automatic interplanetary station (Lunik-3). The spacecraft was launched into airless space on October 4 with the help of the Vostok-L launch vehicle.
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AMC “sent” unique images at three in the morning on October 7, 1959. The signal was received by the Simeiz Observatory (now part of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory). Views of the "invisible side of the moon" transmitted to the Earth, covered a distance of 483 thousand kilometers.
Peering into blurry pictures, many wondered “on spots”: what is on the back of the moon? Yes, the quality of the images left much to be desired, but they were mined! The leader of research of the USSR received the right to name objects discovered on the surface of the nearest satellite.
The whole world has learned which sea is on the far side of the moon - Moscow. Its part, deep in the land, was called the Gulf of Astronauts. A crater about 60 miles (96.5 km) from him received the name of Professor Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, a pioneer of space exploration, who died in 1935. The mountain range near the equator proudly sounded like the Soviet one. A dark spot near the border of the visible and invisible parts of the Moon became the Sea of Dreams. Eight major forms have been identified.
Relative uniformity
Professor Alexander Mikhailov (1888-1983), chairman of the Astronomical Council of the Academy of Sciences, speaking on Moscow radio, noted the relative uniformity of the far side of the moon. He suggested that astronomers and geologists have to explain the phenomenon, which, without a doubt, is connected with the question of the origin of the relief of the moon.
From October 6 to 7, the camera of the Luna-3 automatic interplanetary station took 29 photos. All equipment, including video, worked, both under the control of signals from the Earth, and from the supply of on-board devices. The shooting time was chosen taking into account the position of the Sun. Ready for a photo shoot, the AMS was between the star and the moon. Then managed to remove 70 percent of the territory hidden from the eyes of human beings.
Prior to this, two more launches were carried out: the Luna-1 satellite flew by and disappeared into outer space. Luna 2 fell to the surface of the Queen of the Night. Using these stations of a not too complex structure, functions such as the launch of spacecraft into interplanetary orbits, methods of maintaining radio communications, etc. were worked out. Everything was done so that with their help it would be possible to tell humanity with confidence what is on the back side The moon.
The secret is revealed
“Luna-3” had a fundamentally new design: equipping with orientation devices now, probably, would be called the “Glonass system”; solar panels worked on the AMS. The launch date was timed to the next anniversary of the flight of the first artificial Earth satellite, which entered orbit on October 4, 1957. A real revolution in space exploration, made by the great country of the USSR, took place.
Having "taught" the satellite how to fix what is on the far side of the moon, scientists wanted to get a photo much more than 29 pieces. By the way, from various ways of photographing, the image, albeit not very high quality, was obtained only from a camera with a traveling beam. Having sent the first series of priceless "portraits", the station suddenly stopped transmitting information.
This happened most likely due to the fact that the batteries were discharged during the transfer of information (or maybe there was a collision with a meteorite?). Apparently, the device burned out in the atmosphere in the spring of 1960 (but could exist until 1962). However, the secret has already been revealed.
Friendly rotation
Why is the planet visible from the Earth always from only one side? Because of this, it is impossible to find out what is on the far side of the moon! The reason is that Selena makes a revolution around the Earth for the same time that the Earth turns around its axis. Axial and orbital rotation is 27.3 days. The synchronization of movement occurred about 4 billion years ago.
As for the expression “the dark side of the moon”, it is figurative (invisible, which means it is covered with darkness). In fact, the Sun illuminates our "romantic neighbor" from all sides evenly. It was once believed that the synchronism of rotation of the Earth and the Moon is a unique phenomenon.
Recent studies have proven that almost all the major planetary moons circulate this way. They are addressed to their "mistresses" on one side. This suggests a pattern characteristic of nature, the general laws of development, operating in the universe. Violation of them can lead to unpredictable consequences.
Few seas
The reverse side of the moon, what is there? Seas! Many thought so. Indeed, on the visible part of the people "sickle" can not be counted! They, of course, do not look like terrestrial ones - they are huge ancient lava flows. On the back there are much fewer of them, although it would seem that spaces should extend over the entire surface of the planet, as if encircling it (Franz’s theory).
Moreover, the seas of Moscow discovered in 1959 (occupying the territory of the Moscow Region) and Dreams are very modest in size. Researchers were amazed: is the landscape of the sides so different? Why?
In order to find the answers, a deeper study of the issue was required. Research continued in 1965. The probe-3 station set off to the lunar surface. With her automatic “gaze”, she estimated previously unreached spaces, those same 30 percent. The asymmetry of the parties was fully confirmed.
Many mountains and craters
So, on the “face” of the Selene dominate the sea, and what on the far side of the moon? Mountains and craters prevail there. Some explain the dissimilarity by the theory of two moons, the peaceful coexistence of which ended in the fact that the small crashed into the big one.
After complex processing of photographic materials from two surveys of the far side of the moon, it was firmly established that the bright areas in the visible “half” (they are also the northern and southern continents) are closed on the back. This means that there is a single mainland shield. Sea - is a substance inside the continents that fills the deepest and most extensive depressions of the moon's crust.
Returning to the illumination of the mysteries of nature - Selena, it is worth noting that there are nooks where it is always dark. For example, such deep craters that the sun's rays never reach their bottom. It is possible that in the eternal darkness accumulated colossal deposits of ice, which earthlings could qualify as NZ (untouchable reserve).
Lunar observatory
It is possible that reserves of air and rocket fuel could be stored in natural tanks. The far side of the moon is naturally protected from Earth’s radio waves - a very good place to set up a radiosensitive observatory to explore shaded craters.
But the answer to the question of what lowland is on the far side of the moon? Southwest! So, in some publications, the South Pole - Aitken crater basin. The most amazing bowl-shaped depression in the surface of the Selena - Aitken crater, looks like a mountain range. It has a relatively flat bottom surrounded by a ring-shaped raised shaft. The object stretches for 2250 kilometers, the depth in different places is 8-16 kilometers.
As for the priority of the Soviet Union in the name of the forms of lunar relief, the great country has left the following names for generations of earthlings: craters: Kurchatov, Mendeleev, Popov, Sklodovskaya-Curie, Gagarin, Korolev, etc. Well, and the seas of Moscow, Dreams.