Was Dark Side of Moon once not Dark?

William Atkins
Thursday, 29 January 2009 20:32

Science - Space

Some people believe in the conspiracy theory that space aliens caused the Dark Side of the Moon to always be hidden from the view of Earthlings so they can spy on us from their base on the far side of the Moon.

I think scientists have collected enough data that the answer why the Moon always faces the Earth with one side is probably not as exciting as space aliens moving the Moon but is more mundane as chance encounters of large space rocks with the Moon.

Such conspiracy articles as “USA and USSR shut down moon exploration programs because of aliens' power” are always interesting to read but have little scientific merit.

We humans are very imaginative. And, thus, we think up many interesting scenarios to explain things.

We have been doing this for thousands of years. Many of these “old wives’ tales” and “superstitions” and “misconceptions” have been, over the years, explained rationally and logically by scientists.

Remember when Galileo stunned the world in the seventeenth century, and angered the Catholic Church, by saying the Earth was not at the center of the Universe?

You can always get someone to believe any story. A good way to live your life is to use logic and common sense to evaluate what is being said and done in the world. Research the evidence and don't rely just on what others say. They may be wrong.

Just because it is written in print or viewed on video doesn’t make it true and factual. Even this article is based on the scientific study of only one set of researchers.

Drs. Mark Wieczorek and Mathieu Le Feuvre are waiting for further verification of their claims before a final theory can be established as to how the Moon’s Far Side came to be hidden from view on Earth.

However, I tend to believe that Wieczorek and Le Feuvre are closer to the truth (and the facts) than those who believe space aliens moved the Moon and are now spying on us from the Far Side of the Moon.