Comments on: Yutu-2 data suggests Moon’s far side is “bombarded more frequently” than the near side https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/yutu-2-data-suggests-moons-far-side-is-bombarded-more-frequently-than-the-near-side/ Fri, 28 May 2021 14:44:57 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Ryan Lawson https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/yutu-2-data-suggests-moons-far-side-is-bombarded-more-frequently-than-the-near-side/#comment-1134345 Fri, 28 May 2021 14:44:57 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=76101#comment-1134345 I’m not sure how long it took for the Moon to become tidally locked to the Earth, but that would largely explain to me why the ‘outside’ facing half of the Moon would get more bombardment. It is effectively acting as the shield (or more like a cosmic buckler) for objects headed for the Earth.

]]> By: mpthompson https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/yutu-2-data-suggests-moons-far-side-is-bombarded-more-frequently-than-the-near-side/#comment-1133781 Thu, 27 May 2021 03:53:59 +0000 https://behindtheblack.com/?p=76101#comment-1133781 I was under the impression that the mare on the near side was caused by tidal forces from Earth when the Moon was much younger, much closer to Earth, and had a molten liquid interior. This changed the evolution of the Moon’s crust and mantle in such a way that large oceans of lava remained on the near side longer through the early heavy bombardment than the far side where the crust solidified earlier which preserved scarring from collisions much more readily.

Of course, I could be mistaken.

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