dark side of the moon (common misconception)

The "dark side of the Moon" is a common misconception; it suggests part of the Moon remains perpetually hidden. In reality, all parts of the Moon receive sunlight at different times. The correct term is the "far side of the Moon," which is never visible from Earth due to tidal locking. This far side was first observed by spacecraft in 1959. The Moon’s near and far sides are constantly illuminated in a cycle, just like Earth's day and night, making the "dark side" a misleading term—it's always illuminated at different times.