The Dark Side of the Moon: Humanity’s First Glimpse

Danielle Margareth Piler

PUBMAT | Anthony Beronque

Human eyes have only seen one face or side of the moon for millennia. Well, all of that changed 54 years ago today when the Soviet Union’s Luna 3 Spacecraft fired up its camera in the year 1959 of October 7 and took the first photographs of the lunar hemisphere-- the far side of the moon, which faces away from the Earth.

Between January 1959 and October 1970, the radio-controlled Luna 3, part of the Soviet Union’s tremendously successful lunar program, completed a total of 20 missions to the moon.

The goal of Luna 3's mission was to take the first pictures of the moon's farthest side. Luna 3 took 29 photos during its orbit around the moon, covering roughly 70% of the far side. It was equipped with both wide-angle (200 mm) and telephoto (500 mm) lenses. The first photograph was taken from a distance of 39,500 miles (63,500 kilometers), while the final was taken 40 minutes later from a distance of 41,445 miles (66,700 kilometers). Following the picture session, the probe sailed over the moon's north pole and returned to Earth.

The probe's onboard film processing equipment was developed, repaired, and dried the images. On October 18, 1959, when Luna 3 was able to begin transmitting, 17 pictures were successfully scanned and sent to Earth.

Among the identifiable features were the Mare Moscoviense (Moscow Sea), Mare Desiderii (Sea of Dreams), and the lava-filled floor of the Tsiolkovsky crater named for the Russian rocket pioneer, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky. Mountain ranges that were vastly different from those on the Earth-facing side of the moon were also recognized.

Everyone who saw them sprang up in astonishment, even though images were blurry and surrounded by electronic noise. However, contact with Luna 3 was lost on October 22, and its eventual fate is still unclear and remains unknown. It might have burnt up in Earth's atmosphere in March or April 1960, or it could have lasted until 1962 in orbit.

References:

https://www.wired.com/2011/10/1007luna-3-photos-dark-side-moon/

https://www.universetoday.com/105326/oct-7-1959-our-first-look-at-the-far-side-of-the-moon/