NASA releases first-ever video footage of moon's dark side

Using a precision formation-flying technique, the twin GRAIL spacecraft will map the moon's gravity field. Picture: NASA

An artist's concept of GRAIL-B performing its lunar orbit insertion burn. Picture: NASA
NASA,Febrauary10,2012:It's a mystery that inspired one of the biggest selling albums of all time and more recently one of the biggest movie blockbusters. But Pink Floyd and Transformers fans aside, if you want to see what’s really on “the dark side of the moon”, NASA has released the first ever video footage that shows you. The historic video was shot from NASA’s Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft and the agency is set to provide the footage to students interested in exploring the lunar surface and environment of the moon. The dark side permanently faces away from Earth but ironically receives as much light from the sun as the side we earthlings get to see. The first images of the moon’s far side were captured by the Soviet spacecraft Luna 3 in 1959 and the crew of the Apollo 8, 10 and 17 missions also got a glimpse.