Moon - a natural satellite Zemli.Tainstvennaya and beautiful, she attracted the eyes of ancient times astronomers.Even then, it had been noted many features: change of phase, sunrise and sunset times, the length of the lunar month.Notice the ancient scholars and constantly face the night lights.However, in those days they did not have wondered why the moon is turned to one side of the Earth.For them it was the only possible position, it is an appropriate common belief about the structure of the sky.
Today, the situation is somewhat different.Our understanding of the movement and interaction of cosmic objects, supported by numerous observations, much different from was common in ancient times.And almost all from the school know why the moon is turned to one side of the Earth.
Beginning
Today, one of the secrets that the moon does not want us to open, it is its origin.Various studies carried out in order to obtain a definitive answer to this question is spawned several versions.On one of them Moon and Earth - sisters, formed about the same time, out of the total of the protoplanetary cloud.This is supported by the results of radioisotope analysis will determine the same age of two celestial bodies.However, there is evidence of large differences in the composition of our planet and its satellites.Under a version of it extends and Moon was formed somewhere far away in space and approached the Earth, it was captured.Close to her hypothesis, suggesting that some were attracted by space objects, which after some time faced and formed the moon.Finally, there is the theory that our planet - the mother for most of his companion: The moon was the result of a collision of the Earth with a huge body.Embossed and later became part of the orbit around the "ancestor".
System "satellite - Planet»
Whatever it was, it is known only that the Moon - a natural satellite of Earth.According to astronomical data, the night light at the time of its formation was located much closer to our planet.Moreover, it will fly around Earth and turn one or the other party.This situation is typical of the initial stage of the evolution of the "companion - a planet."An example of the results of development of "relations" - is Pluto and Charon accompanying.Both cosmic body is always turned to each other on one side, rotate them synchronized.But first things first.
tidal acceleration
young moon immediately began to work on Earth.It is expressed in the formation of tidal waves in the newly emerging oceans, as well as in the cortex.It has two main effects of the investigation.Firstly, as a result of some structural features of the Earth's rotation and its tidal wave is ahead of the moon.The entire mass of the planet enclosed in like a wave, in turn, affects the satellite gives it accelerated, and the moon begins to move faster, gradually moving away from the Earth.Secondly, this process occurs and opposite force retarding the movement of continents.As a consequence, the rate of rotation of the earth around its axis, increases during the day.
moon moves away from the planet by about 4 cm per year.However, this is not an eternal process, and the probability of losing its satellite earth negligible.End "escape" of the moon at the time when the Earth's rotation around its axis is synchronized with the movement of the satellite in orbit.In this case, our planet will always look at the night light the same side.
similar process
easy to assume that the answer to the question of why the moon is turned to one side of the world, associated with a similar phenomenon.Indeed, the gravitational force of the Earth is in the bowels of the satellite similar to tidal waves.Since our planet is more massive force of its impact is much more tangible.Obeying her moon has long been synchronized with the movement of its rotation around the Earth.The result was always available for monitoring and invisible side of the moon.
Slightly more than half
attentive amateur astronomer quickly enough may find that the face of the night lights still a few changes.The visible side of the moon does not take even half of it.Orbit night lights deviate from the plane of rotation of the Earth around the Sun (the ecliptic) about 5º.In addition, 1,5º relative to the path of motion of the moon shifted its axis.As a result of observation for accessing 6,5º poles above and below the satellite.This process is called libration lunar latitude.Similarly, there are fluctuations of the satellite longitude.To him lead change in the rate of motion of the moon, depending on the distance from the Earth.Hidden from the eyes of the satellite at the expense of shrinking, and the other side of the moon, lighting, increased to 7º longitude.So it turns out that in total can be observed up to 59% of the lunar surface.
In the distant future
So, the question of why the Moon always looks at one side of the Earth, is a response to the impact of the peculiarities of the planet's gravitational force on the satellite.However, as has been said, a similar process after a certain time, will lead to the fact that the Earth will look at the night light is only one part, regardless of what phase the moon.According to the calculations of John Darwin, grandson of the founder of the theory of evolution, the duration of the day to that point will be familiar to us fifty days.The distance separating the Earth and the moon rise at the same time by about half.This will be the most ideal state of "companion - a planet."
solar tides
True, there is some possibility that the Moon never destined to achieve sufficient removal.The reason for this lies in the possibility of the solar tides.Daylight moon has a similar effect on both the planet and the satellite.If the theoretical construction of the future of the two celestial bodies include this fact, it turns out that at a certain distance from the Earth's moon will again be approached.This reduction in distance will be devastating.When the moon will be at a distance of 2.9 Earth radii, it will be torn apart by the gravity.
Another "but»
However, this pattern may not be realized.The fact that the projected distance of the moon, then its approach and, finally, death will take a few trillion years.During this time, a disaster could happen more serious scale, at least for all living things on the planet.The sun goes out, exhausted all the reserves of fuel stellar.Following this change and the interaction of all the conditions in the planetary system of the star.
Research
Other Side of the Moon, inaccessible to direct observation for a long time was a mystery, literally covered with darkness.Only the beginning of the space age gave an opportunity to get to know her better.The first aircraft, photographed about 70% of the hidden part, was the Soviet "Luna-3".Images transmitted to Earth showed that relief back side is somewhat different from the nature of the apparent surface.There were practically no plains seas.It found there were only two such education, later called Sea of Moscow and the Sea of Dreams.
giant crater
In 1965 went to the moon spacecraft "Zond-3".He completed filming the invisible part of the satellite.Image of the remaining 30% of the surface only confirmed the earlier findings: the surface of this part is covered with craters and mountains, but the seas on her almost none.
most impressive dimensions has one of the craters, which is located just on the dark side of the moon.Its length is 2250 km, and the depth - 12 km.
Hypotheses
Today the mystery side of the Moon is largely solved.However, the human mind tend to fantasize about things and phenomena which are inaccessible to direct observation.Because on the Internet easy to find the most bizarre hypotheses pertaining to the whole moon as a whole or only to her hidden from the side.There are speculations about the artificial origin of the satellite, its population of extraterrestrial intelligence, and deliberate concealment of one of the parties.There are also references to the mysterious space base, located on the dark side of the satellite.Similar versions rather difficult to confirm, or disprove.No matter how they may be true or false, they are based on the same reason that prompted people to space exploration: the hope to find in the vast expanses of the universe brethren in mind, the desire to touch the unknown.
Today, however, quite know exactly why the moon is turned to one side of the Earth.And the assumption of artificial origin has not received any serious continuation.The answer became as clear as understanding what phase the moon today, and why.It is impossible, however, to say that we know everything about Earth's satellite and no discoveries in the future is expected.On the contrary, the night light to match the ancient deities personifying it remains mysterious and is in no hurry to share secrets.Humanity has yet to learn many interesting things about the satellite of our planet.Perhaps a new phase of the study, which began recently, will bear fruit in the near future.It is exactly what a huge difference in this sense, has some projects of NASA.Among them are "Avatar," is to develop a suit telepresence.It will, on the ground, using robots to perform experiments on the moon.Enormous hopes and colonization project, the implementation of which will result in placing the scientific base on the satellite of our planet.
