What is the technically accurate term for the region popularly called the "dark side of the Moon"?
Answer
The far side
The region of the Moon not visible from Earth is correctly termed the far side, not the dark side. The term "dark side" is technically inaccurate because the Moon rotates on its axis while orbiting Earth. This rotation ensures that sunlight reaches the far side regularly, just as it does the near side. A lunar day, which consists of sunlight exposure, lasts approximately 14 Earth days, followed by a 14-day lunar night. The confusion arises from the gravitational phenomenon known as tidal locking, which locks the Moon into presenting only one face, the near side, toward our planet.
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