this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2025
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Moonlight is also technically sunlight. It's being reflected by the surface of the moon back onto Earth. If you were on the dark side of the moon while Earth was still visible on that side, I wonder how bright it would be lit up from light reflecting off Earth.
Humans never set foot on the dark side, afaik.
The "dark" side of the moon is a bit of a weird thing, both linguistically and for its tidally locked orbit ^^ The moon revolves around earth at the same speed it revolves around its axis. This "tidal locking" means that it is always showing the same "face" to the Earth, so that it doesn't appear to be rotating from our perspective.
This doesn't mean that one side is always dark and the other is exposed to the sun - just that instead of days, the moon has phases! Every time the moon is not full or new, you can see a part of it is illuminated and the other isn't. So the situation of being "on the dark side of the moon" while the Earth is visible is not possible, but it is possible to only be illuminated by earthlight.
FYI - "dark side of the moon" refers to the far side of the moon (that never faces Earth). Dark here has the same meaning as in dark energy: "unknown."
I have no answer to your actual question, but would also be interested.
I know that is also true but... Is there another way to describe the side that isn't currently facing the sun? 🤔
Unilluminated? Night?