When the Moon's near side is fully illuminated by the Sun, the far side, or "dark side," is actually not completely dark; it receives sunlight as well, just not visible from Earth. The far side is characterized by its rugged terrain, featuring numerous craters and large, dark basaltic plains known as "maria," similar to the near side but with fewer of the lighter highland areas. The far side's landscape remains a mystery to observers on Earth, as it was only photographed for the first time by the Soviet Luna 3 mission in 1959. Thus, while it may seem dark, the far side is lit up just like the near side, albeit not visible to us.
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