Near and Far Side of the Moon (IMAGE) California Institute of Technology Caption The moon's near side (left) is covered with dark splotches of lunar maria that look like a man's face when seen from Earth. The moon's far side (right), with its many craters and elevated topography, looks quite different. Credit NASA/Goddard/Arizona State University Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.