Book 8, Question 39
Why Are There Dark Patches on the Moon?
The dark patches on the Moon are ancient lava plains! Long ago, lava flooded huge basins and cooled into smooth plains called maria, which means seas. They are darker rock, not real water oceans!
More fun facts
- The dark patches are called maria (MAR-ee-uh). They are old, hardened lava flows.
- The side of the Moon facing Earth is nearly covered with maria, while the far side has only a few.
- The far side is not really dark. 'Dark side of the Moon' just means mysterious or unknown.
- The biggest known crater on the Moon, the South Pole-Aitken Basin, stretches from the Moon's south pole to a crater called Aitken.
- Some craters near the Moon's poles never get sunlight at all. They are called permanently shadowed regions.
Sources: Smithsonian, NASA
Questions kids ask
Is the far side of the Moon always dark?
No. It gets sunlight too. It just never faces Earth.