What does the surface of the Moon look like?
The Moon’s surface is covered with a thick layer of gravel-like rock and dust. This material was created by the impact of millions of meteorites. The Moon also has mountain ranges, many of which are the remains of impact craters and volcanoes that were active when the Moon was still hot. There are some huge valleys called rilles, which can be hundreds of kilometres in length and look like river-beds. However, scientists do not yet fully understand their origins.
What’s on the far side of the Moon?
The far side of the Moon was a mystery until 1959, when a Soviet space probe took the first photographs of it.
The actual appearance of the far side was something of a disappointment, because it had far fewer craters and other physical features than the familiar side that always faces the Earth.